KIRA, WINGS OF JUSTICE
by DarkFireNyx
Summary: AU, Superhero!Raito, LxRaito. Yaoi Slash. With great power...comes great responsibility. Featuring Japan's Dark-Wings Knight...KIRA! FULL SUMMARY INSIDE. STORY RATED. STORY POSTED IN FANFICTION AND AO3/ARCHIVEOFOUROWNDOTORG.
1. Chapter 1-7

STORY TITLE:

 **KIRA, WINGS OF JUSTICE** by **MYSTICWRITER3018 (DARKFIRENYX)**

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 **STORY SUMMARY:**

AU, Superhero Light Yagami/Raito Yagami, LightxL, Yaoi Slash.

What started as a natural curiosity…ended up being the greatest responsibility Raito Yagami had to shoulder – behold the _Killer of Crime_ , the _Duke of Justice_ , the _Harbinger of Truth_ : KIRA!

STORY RATED FOR LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE AND CONTENT.

STORY POSTED IN FANFICTIONDOTORG AND ARCHIVEOFOUROWNDOTORG.

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 **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DEATH NOTE AND ANY OF ITS MERCHANDISE. THEY BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS AND CREATORS. I ONLY OWN THE STORY, ORIGINAL CHARACTERS AND PLOT.**

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 **AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

This story was adopted from another author **xDeepestEndx**. I tried to find and message him/her for permission into adopting and using the story with my own changes. But so far, I haven't found the author and I'm worried that I'll be in trouble and sued for stealing his story.

But don't worry! This story will have some similarities from his original fan-fiction story but there will be changes and that I might be continuing where the author left off. Since it's been years that the author hasn't updated the story, I decided to take up the spot and pick it up where it was left off and continue on.

My sincerest apologies to **xDeepestEndx** for copying your work, but—only chapters 1-7.

From Chapters 8 and so on, it will be my work from now on.

With your permission, please I would like to continue on from where you left off. Thank you!

NO FLAMES, PLEASE!

I hope you like it! Enjoy!

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 **CHAPTER 1 – WITH GREAT POWER…COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY, part 1**

 _Everything in the way will be annihilated_

 _Everything in the way will be annihilated_

Power, in Raito's eyes, is _such_ a misused thing.

He looked out the classroom window – _bored, jaded, uninterested_ … there were a lot of _productive_ things he thought of doing right now, instead of just idly 'listening' to his teacher's lectures and drawls. Wait, scratch lectures. Just _drawling_.

' _Stupid academic prerequisite… making me attend useless classes that only seem to bore me to death…'_ He thought, sporting a small, unnoticeable scowl. Day after _day_ , it was the same _damn_ thing. School. Boredom. Home. School. **Bore** _dom_. Home. Raito was a man of routine, but… _shit_. Was it a prerequisite to be _this_ bored, too?

He ran his fingers through his hair and continued staring out the window. _'I feel trapped in some hell hole somewhere… Stupid adults. Stupid prerequisites.'_ Just because they had _power_.

"…and if you all take a look _here_ , the author obviously wrote this line – yes, _this_ line – to imply something. There's obviously symbolism in this context… Could anyone tell me what it is?" Raito immediately wanted to blurt out "injustice!", but it would seem out-of-character – he _did_ have an image to maintain… though he would gladly trade that for…

…something. Just not _this_.

"Oh, come on, you should _all_ know it."

' _It's just_ power _,'_ He answered in his head. The brunet looked around and couldn't help but shake his head in slight disappointment. His _classmates_ – peers, colleagues, "equals", whatever – couldn't even answer a very _easy_ question! It irritated Raito that he was the only one who understood everything – and frankly, Raito was too tired to raise his hand. Besides, he was already the most intelligent student in the entire campus; if he got too ambitious –

"Yagami-kun, would you like to answer my question?"

' _Uh, no?'_ He thought irritably to himself. His sigh oozed with notable ire and boredom, but it was apparently ignored.

Or they just didn't notice.

He stood up, held the novel and quickly scanned the passage. Effortlessly, he replied, "The line '…the throne that rots because the king is rotten,' obviously dictates that there was a misuse of influence and authority." He paused. "To put it in simple terms, the author stresses on the fact that anyone given a certain degree of influence should use it efficiently, not selfishly."

"Very good, Yagami-kun; you've obviously been studying." _Duh._ Raito sat and started tuning out his teacher's lectures again. He spared the room a glance, and noticed that his fellow students weren't listening at _all_. And the teacher wasn't even doing anything about it!

"Yagami-kun has just made a _very_ critical point. Humans, in general, cannot ignore that incessant need to attain power."

Brown locks fell on caramel eyes.

"But even though this isn't necessarily a _bad_ thing – "

If he had the _power_ –

"Sometimes, people just – "

If he _had_ that power –

"—abuse it."

He would do _everything_ he could.

"The proper way to handle such _great_ power – "

To save this world.

"—is to use it for the greater good. And as they _say_ – "

To rid the world of evil.

"With _great power_ – "

To implement _Justice_. "—comes _great responsibility_."

To attain a perfect world.

 _Destiny is mysterious_

 _Now that we're face to face_

 _Trash of society_

 _Need to be thrown and destroyed in a second_

"Onii-chan! Welcome _hoooome_!"

"…the hell, Sayu?"

Yagami Raito went home to a very hyper-active teenage girl. For some unexplored reason, this demon's advocate currently staring up at him with those devil-bambi-eyes was related to him somehow. He believed they were… siblings?

How _that_ managed to happen was beyond his almighty comprehension.

Apparently, Raito had voiced his thoughts – he was _righteously_ smacked on the arm by a very, very rude little girl. An indignant _ouch_ escaped his lips as he glared at the little demon sticking out her tongue at him.

"Bleh! You're mean, onii-chan!" She sported an indignant pout and started flailing her hands around in incessant circular motions. "I go out of my way to greet you a _'welcome home, oniichan!'_ and _this_ is the thanks I get? Doubt of our filial affiliation?! How rude, how _inhuman_! What kind of big bro – "

"I got you that new comic book you wanted," Raito took out a plastic-cased comic book and presented it to the previously-disgruntled adolescent, who was now _currently_ in conflict with the emotions super-shocked and hyper-happy.

—but then, it wouldn't be too surprising if she decided to be _both_.

Raito covered his ears as Sayu took the comic book from his hand and started squealing like a pig set free from a farm. Raito could _practically_ hear the words "FREEDOM-OINK!

FREEDOM-OINK!" in the background, only it was "SUPER-DUPER-ULTRAMAN-OINK! SUPER-DUPER-ULTRAMAN-OINK!" instead.

…why did he buy the comic book again?

Taking this as the opportune moment to _exit the scene_ – God, what was _that_? – the brunet silently started to walk away, only –

"ONII-CHAN, I LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

Sweet mother of _CHEESE…_! Sayu-glompage!

'… _that's it. I'm not buying her comic books ever again,'_ He told himself as he tried to separate his flawless face from the just-got-cleaned floor. Sayu was bouncing on top of him, so the effort was _all in vain_.

Holy cheddar, what had Sayu been _eating_ lately to gain all that _weight_?

"Thank you _soooo_ much, onii-chan!" She raised the plastic-protected comic book and bounced on his back – like she was worshipping some _idol_ or something. Raito wouldn't be too surprised if she _was_ doing that, though. "You got me the latest volume of _The Chronicles of Super-DuperUltraman: Boom-Boom Space Wars_! I'll _finally_ be able to find out whether SDU reveals his secret identity to his new squeeze, _Phantasmagoria_ or not!"

When Sayu jumped off him, Raito immediately stood up and dusted some dirt off his school uniform. He gave a silent 'hmph' and started his trek to his room. With one glance over his shoulder, he found out that the imp-creature was following him. Damn.

"You know, SDU and Phantasmagoria look _soooo_ good with each other! Unlike in the first series where SDU was with _Zsazsa Zaturnnah_ (2), they actually _complement_ each other! Zsazsa was just using SDU for fame, you see, and…" Dear _God_ , why him?

"Sayu," He began gently when they reached his bedroom. The gorgeous brunet turned the knob as he looked at his sister with concern. "Should I ask mom and dad to schedule an appointment with the loony doctor? I heard talking to no-one in particular is a symptom of – "

" _Hah, hah,_ _ **hah**_. Very _funny_ , onii-chan – you should be a comedian, one day. You know, so we'll be rich and we'll be able to afford that _doctor's appointment_ you're talking about."

Raito entered his room and scowled when Sayu decided to turn his perfectly-made bed into a trampoline. His scowl then morphed into a confident smirk as he declared his comeback, "I would if I wanted to Sayu, but if I were to be a comedian, everyone would _die_ laughing due to the sheer brilliance that is my sense of hu – "

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA – oh wait, your joke wasn't done yet?" _THOINK!_ "Oww! Hey, that

hurt!"

"Silence, devil-girl. Your super-sonic shrieks will obliterate my bedroom." He retorted, amused. The only reply he got from Sayu was an indignant pout – finally, a _tame_ reply. Well, as tame as Sayu could manage, anyway.

He sighed and set his school bag on the floor. After stretching a little, he approached the desk to review some notes for his prep course tonight. It was silent for a few minutes until Sayu suddenly shrieked – managing to surprise Raito a little at the intensity of the volume.

"Weeheehee _heeeeee_!" Sayu squealed with delight, bouncing her feet on the soft mattress. "He _did it_! He finally told Phantasmagoria his secret identity! And weeeeeeee! Ahihihihihi!" She looked positively _giddy_ , dancing and squealing like that.

It horrified Raito, much to his chagrin.

He turned the swivel chair to face his little sister. "What _is_ it with you and superhero comic books, Sayu? Shouldn't you be reading… shojo manga, instead?" No, Raito does _not_ read shojo manga. He doesn't.

Maybe.

Sayu looked positively _horrified_ – wtf? – and pointed an accusing finger at her alleged Mr. Wonderful-candidate older brother. "That is just _sick_ , onii-chan! I've had _e_ **nough** with that sort of prejudice! Why, just because I am female, I am merely bound to giddy-giddy, fabbity-fab-fab, bishonen-sparkles shojo _manga_? Onii-chan, do not _categorize_ me in such a disgusting and re _volting_ stereotype!"

' _There are a_ lot _of things wrong with what she said,'_ He thought mildly, looking at her with slightly-wide eyes. _'And one of those is that she's not supposed to have such a colossal vocabulary.'_

Maybe she _was_ his sibling after all.

He sighed and turned to face the door. "Well, that's true, I suppose – but nevertheless, a girl reading an action-packed superhero _comic book_ – not _manga_ , mind you – is beyond ordinary. May I ask what _intrigues_ you so much, imouto?"

Sayu closed the comic book and placed it on her lap – she sported a _hmmm-I'm-thinking_ look and stared up at the ceiling in contemplation. She shrugged. "I dunno. I guess I just like the plot. You know, a normal guy gets superpowers and decides to use it for good – battling evil, implementing justice and getting the girl, and all that." She grinned and lied on her stomach. She spread the comic book open in front of her. "I also like the 'with great power comes great responsibility' thing. You know, like Spider-man?"

Raito just stared at his sister while she explained the reason for her interest. With great power… comes great responsibility. He was familiar with the concept, yes. And he found it rather catchy and true. If _he_ had superpowers – or rather, if he had the _power_ to implement goodness and justice throughout the world, he would have done so in a _flash_.

' _Superpowers…'_

But sadly, things like that only happen in comic books and manga. He smiled to himself, almost amused that he even _thought_ about gaining superpowers. What, was he going to wear spandex and capes while running around saying his catchphrase and battling evildoers?

That… that was just _silly_. Ideal, but… still.

It was just _silly_.

"– and I like the fact that it can happen to just _anybody_. You know, you get bitten by a spider, and you'll turn into Spider-man? Or some lab experiment gone wrong, and you'll be chemically altered like the Hulk? Or, or, _or_ you have some motivation to use your resources for good! Like Superman being the last of his kind, so he uses his superpo **wer** s to save Earth and stuff? Ooh, _ooh_ – Bruce Wayne and his almighty-rich-playboy glory? The guy who uses his wealth to provide himself the resources he needs to become Batman?" Sayu practically swooned in her position. "I'm telling you – it could happen to _anybody_! And it could happen _anywhere_ at _any time_ … and any _how_!"

The brunet senior looked outside the window as the evening began to put the afternoon to sleep.

Superpowers… can't be real. It wasn't possible for anyone to obtain the needed abilities to pass as a superhero in the real world. Besides, one doesn't need to have superpowers to become a _hero_ , right? A true hero… Well, however that _line_ went, it all means that it all depends on the strength of the heart, or something.

…Disney, go die.

' _Oh wait, he's already dead. Yey me.'_ Raito smiled and shook his head in amused disbelief. Seriously, he was putting too much effort in thinking about stuff that wasn't even real. Really, one doesn't _need_ superpowers to be a hero.

…but it does make one look _cool_.

"— _and I like the fact that it can happen to just_ anybody _."_

Anybody…

'… _like me?'_

 _In my flight the whole world will remain safe_

 _No matter who – never backing off_

 _In my flight the whole world will remain safe_

 _No matter who – never backing off_

 _Be Ready._ (1)

The next day, Raito was just as bored as ever. It was around two – the time in the afternoon when the brunet felt the sleepiest.

His two o'clock classes were, _coincidentally_ , all mundane and dull. Hell, all of them were!

 _Oi_.

He was staring outside the window again. From where he sat, Raito deemed the sky _more_ interesting than any class he ever took – _at least it changes_.

But class was always boring. Uneventful. Downright _lame_.

Raito blew his bangs off his face and continued to gaze at the bright blueness of the afternoon sky.

—only to witness the descending of a thin, black notebook.

 _Death Note…?_

…what the heck?

' _Hmm?'_ Raito blinked as he watched the black object hit the pavement. He leaned to the side slightly to get a better look – there it was: a _lone_ notebook on the concrete floor of the school grounds. He tilted his head to the side in slight confusion.

Where… where did it _come_ from?

' _Heaven?'_ He thought to himself mildly. He shook his head – _of course not_. Heaven his _ass_. Why would a notebook fall from the heavens?

…why indeed, inspector Yagami.

When class was over, the hot brunet and his perfect _man_ -features decided to investigate the mysterious object _that-fell-from-the-sky_. Or that was thrown out unceremoniously by an _angry_ writer. Or something.

Whatever it was, it caught the brunet's interest.

He walked down the steps and glanced around him. Nobody seemed to be particularly noticing him. Caramel eyes then focused on a lonely notebook lying on the ground a few feet away.

How _peculiar_.

' _Peculiar indeed,'_ He thought to himself. As he started walking towards it, the brunet was wondering what the strange notebook _was_. Could it be a sign from up above… or could it be just a normal notebook that was tossed from a window?

Well, whatever. He was just a reach's distance away from the blasted thing.

He bent over and picked it up. He felt an odd tingling sensation in his hands, but he ignored it.

The top student examined the cover and found out that the _title_ , apparently, was indeed Death Note – whatever _that_ meant. He flipped through the pages –

—empty. Blank. _Unused_.

'… _how strange,'_ The title should mean something, of course. Why would a blank notebook be named _Death Note_ , of all things, if it didn't contain a hint of ominous-ness? Well, there _was_ that tingling sensation – by the _way…_

' _My hands won't stop… tingling.'_ He observed. He still felt a tickling sensation in his hands. And he _noticed_ that the parts that _were_ tingling were the parts that were in contact with the notebook.

…weird.

He put the notebook back down – tingling sensation _gone!_ – and started walking away. Weird notebook, making Yagami Raito's hands tingle… feh! The brunet isn't stupid enough to keep a _bizarre_ object in his possessions –

'… _hmm… Curious…'_

The brunet stopped and turned back around.

 _We are not the same_

 _You cannot stop me_

 _There is nothing else to speak of_

 _There is no sense for you to finish_

' _This is_ _ **silly**_ _,'_ He thought to himself as he entered his house. He took off his shoes and slid into his slippers.

' _I brought home a bizarre, hand-tingling black notebook that probably belongs to someone emoish… Hmph! Completely out-of-_ _ **character**_ _,'_

But he would be lying if he said he wasn't _curious_.

Imagine – a _blank_ , black notebook that fell from the sky! A mysterious object that _screams_ freaky, and somehow, for some odd reason, tends to give someone the _tingles_ when touched.

Doesn't _that_ make one curious?

The brunet locked his bedroom door. He set his school bag on the bed and just _stared_ at it. The oddness of the notebook makes one want to _investigate_ it at least _once_. What kind of notebook sends tingles to your nerves? An electronic one? A… _supernatural_ one?

Raito smirked to himself. _Right_. Supernatural – and _just_ a day after thinking about how wonderful it would be to have _superpowers_.

You _have_ to do better than that, God.

' _It's too coincidental,'_ He said to himself. Why would a _notebook_ of immense power suddenly fall _within his vicinity_ after he had _thought_ about anything supernatural? It was insane – _weird_! It contradicted the very foundation of logic and reason – and that was just _sick_.

Well, for _him_ anyway.

And no – he will _not_ acknowledge the _possibility_ of it being fate. OK, so he's intelligent and talented – both in academia and sports. He was also very bored boy who had a profound sense of justice. Does _that_ mean he was somehow given an opportunity to use his profound justice-senses for the greater good by receiving a mystical notebook from _who-knows-where_?

That _almost_ made him laugh.

' _It's not even_ mystical _anyway,'_ Raito reasoned, taking off his coat. _'My hands must have been cold.'_ Yeah, that's it – _temperature_. His hands reacted to the lowness of the temperature! Coldness!

That was… logical, was it not?

He rubbed his hands together as he looked at his school bag. That really felt _odd_. It was like something soft was caressing his palm – _tickling it_. He gazed at his palms and closed them. Opened them. Closed them. _Opened them_. They feel normal now, but…

How odd.

Carefully, he unzipped his bag and stretched the opening to make it bigger. The black notebook was neatly placed between two other notebooks – harmless, if not a little too innocent. He sported a _thinking stance_ as he debated with himself. Was it all just a one-time thing? It couldn't happen _again_ , after all. What were the odds of it… happening… again?

Why was he _hesitating_?

He shook his head as he reached for the notebook – Yagami Raito wasn't _hesitating_. He was just being _cautious_ , of course. Hah, what a _joke_. If it happened again, Raito will –

 _Zhhwiip!_

The sensation startled Raito – he immediately dropped the notebook after he felt it. He stared wide-eyed at the _seemingly-innocent_ notebook on the ground.

 _Impossible_.

' _Shit… something freaky is happening.'_ Carefully, he knelt down and picked it up – zhhwiip! – and examined it. This sensation… this _feeling_ … feels so weird, yet somehow… relaxing at the same time.

It was like being stroked by feathers.

His head shot up. _Feathers_? Where'd _that_ come from?

The gorgeous brunet shook his head and scratched his chin. _'I must be losing my mind. I'm going nuts over a weird… if-not-a-little-occult_ _notebook.'_ He turned his head to the side to look at the digital clock on his desk – it was a few minutes till six o'clock. Almost time for his prep course.

He shook his head in disbelief and fell on the mattress. The brunet placed the notebook on his stomach as he stretched. Now his _stomach_ felt tingly.

' _It's probably the material the covers made of…'_ He thought idly. Raito completely overlooked the fact that he was still wearing his _shirt_. He stared at the ceiling for a while – ignoring the tingly sensation growing stronger. It felt a little relaxing, so Raito wasn't really alarmed. He yawned.

Well, a little nap won't hurt… right?

A few minutes later, Raito woke up with a groan. Dammit… why does his _back_ hurt? He sat up _slowly_ and rubbed the back of his neck. Geez, what _time_ was it? He noticed the color of the light fading into a mixture of orange-like red. It was probably around fifteen minutes after six.

The brunet had an _almost-precise_ internal clock, after all.

' _Time to get ready for my prep course,'_ He said to himself. The caramel-eyed senior yawned and stretched. After a few seconds, he settled his hands on his knees – then, he _froze_. _'…what – '_

He gazed at his lap – at his _stomach_. Where… oh what the _fuck_ – _where the hell was the notebook_?

He bent a little to look at the floor – _none_. It wasn't there. Where the heck _was_ it? Not that he was attached to the notebook, of course. But it just seemed strange that –

When he looked to the side he saw the most _horrifying_ thing.

Why…

…did he have wings?

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" He yelled and fell on the floor. He clutched his shoulders as he stood up. He watched the… the _things_ on his back extend into long, black-and-white wings.

Black feathers on the surface of the wings, but there were white feathers on the inside. Black. White. Black. _White_.

…WHAT THE HELL WERE THEY DOING ON HIS BACK?!

He panicked – _no_ , that was a _gross_ understatement! His heart was _palpitating_ ; his shoulders convulsed. His eyes were wide as _wiiide_ as can be. He looked around and saw a mirror hanging on the wall.

Quickly, Raito approached it. He stopped a fair distance away. Raito breathed and breathed and _breathed_.

…he looked… _different_.

Well, his facial features were _still flawless_ , but the… the… _wings_ – should he call them that? – gave him a whole new _look_. The way they bent, the way they just floated behind him…

Was it wrong to be _awed_ by all this?

No. No. _No_. Yagami Raito shouldn't even _consider_ the possibility of growing wings! It was too spontaneous! Too… well, silly? They weren't wings – he was obviously _dreaming_. Yes, that's it – dreaming. This is all a figment of his imagination, a scripted play in his mental process! This wasn't real. This wasn't… real.

…was it?

He looked down at his feet and he noticed some feathers had fallen to the floor. He lifted his foot up and poked a white feather with his toe. Hmmm… was he supposed to feel that softy-softness? A soft feel tickled his nerves. He shook his head.

"Impossible…" He clutched his sides as he convulsed. "This can't be… _real_ …"

"' _Nah. This is pretty much_ _ **real**_ _, kid.'"_ When he looked up to look the mirror, he saw –

—a **monster**.

Raito _screamed_.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" He recoiled, drew back and fell on the floor. He groaned and looked up at an _ominous-looking figure_ looming over him.

He gasped.

The creature smiled. _"'Howdy. I'm Ryuuk.'"_

Raito shook his head.

WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING ON?!

 _In my flight the whole world will remain safe_

 _No matter who_

 _Never backing off_

 **B E - Y**

 **CHAPTER ENDS**

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 **CHAPTER 2 – WITH GREAT POWER…COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY, part 2**

 _My open hand was stained with blood_

 _The fractured dream was left to die_

 _It fell apart, having been crushed with a clenched fist_

 _These endless wings, so grandly spread_

 _Have become to me just as a chain_

 _Their weight, so dense, have disabled me from moving_

WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING ON?!

Yagami Raito – top student, self-proclaimed _best-in-everything_ – stared _wide-eyed_ at the sight before him. He shook his head in disbelief as fast, panicked breaths escaped his lips. N-No. This _can't_ be happening to him!

What the _heeeell_?!

The dark creature cackled and raised a "reassuring" sharp-clawed hand. _"'Relax, kid. I can explain_ _ **everything**_ _…'"_

The brunet's panicked breathing eased down a bit after he realized that the… the _thing_ in front of him is _very much real_ – unless this is just some cruel joke his parents or Sayu decided to play on him… if that's the case, he'll disown them all. Explain? Oh, there were _lots_ of things to explain, you over-sized gothic plush toy! Raito just sent the large creature a _silent glare_ – that was the only thing he could do at the moment.

The creature, noticing Raito's heart rate slowing down (just a _teeny_ bit, though), cackled and leaned forward. The brunet backed away immediately when he saw just how _big_ those yellowish red eyes were.

 _Eww._

It tilted its head to the side and grinned at Raito – well, it was already _grinning_ when it came in. He – Raito assumed it was a guy – cackled and continued to _staaaaare_.

"'… _you know, you're probably one of the few humans who ever figured out how to use that notebook.'"_ The creature began. He still emitted that weird aura of _creepy-creepiness_ , something Raito was _definitely_ not used to. As if talking to another-worldly monster was something of _everyday occurrence_!

Although Raito was afraid, he still managed to maintain a calm, collected expression on his perfect _man_ features. And, to his surprise, he also retained his reasoning abilities – that is, he could still _understand_ and _analyze_ whatever is happening around him.

That being said… what did the creature meant by… _figured out how to_ use _that notebook_?

' _Where_ is _it, anyway?'_ He looked around his bedroom, and eventually his gaze settled on the notebook strapped on the creature's… belt. He glared at the creature with intense _meanness._ "…funny you should mention the notebook, considering you have it _strapped_ to your _belt_." He supplied, pointing at the skull-locked – it _was_ a lock, right? – object held on the leathery material.

The creature moved its big, spiky head downwards and looked at the notebook. He cackled and said, _"'Naww. This ain't your notebook, kid. It's my own.'"_ His _own_?

"Your… own?" Raito received a nod from the creature. "Then where the _hell_ is _mine_?"

Ryuuk – _Raito should learn to address people with given names… or rather, creatures with supplied aliases_ – cackled and pointed a thin, sharp finger at his stomach. The senior student's eyes followed where the creature was pointing – he _blinked_. What? That _was_ where he placed it before it vanished but… …wait. Don't tell _him_ –

"' _It's right there,'"_ Ryuuk replied. _"'Safe and sound.'"_ The winged monster laughed as Raito's jaw dropped.

It was… in his _stomach_?

"…" Raito stared _hard_ at Ryuuk. "…do you mean to tell _me_ that _that_ _mysterious_ black notebook that gives off tickling sensations to whoever touches it _somehow_ managed to…" What was the right term? Sink? Drop? _Descend_?

The creature nodded. _"'Yap. It merged with ya.'"_ He raised his bony arms. _"'And ya got it right on the first day, too! I'm surprised! Perhaps this is going to be fun after all…'"_ He trailed off, cackling a bit.

' _Talk about_ _ **creepy**_ _…'_ Raito was about to ask another question when a sound came knocking on the door.

" _Raito? Raito dear, is everything all, right? I heard you screaming…"_ The doorknob jiggled a bit, signifying Raito that his mother was trying to open the door.

Raito immediately froze.

"' _It's OK, kid. Answer it.'"_ The creature reassured the teenager, but he forgot one little detail – … _ohh_.

Raito stood up slowly, turned his back to the creature and _emphasized_ the mass of feathers that sprouted out his back. "OK? OK? Do you _think_ **this** is OK?!" He whispered venomously to the winged creature. Raito pointed at his wings, and pointed at Ryuuk. "And what would _you_ do when she sees you, you ignoramus?! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO EXPLAIN – "

" _Raito…? Sweetie? Everything all right in there?"_ His mother's concerned voiced leaked through the door. _"It's almost time for your prep course, Raito…"_

"Ahh, err…" Raito began. "Just a minute, kaa-san! I just fell asleep; I'm getting ready right now."

" _Well… all right."_ There was a sound of footsteps retreating to the stairs, and as the sound faded, Raito began to calm down.

That was _close_.

"Shit…" Raito stumbled as he went over to the edge of the bed to sit on it. The creature followed him – Ryuuk hovered above using his big black wings.

Speaking of _wings_ …

"What…" Raito began and pointed his thumb at the black-and-white wings _he_ had. "…are _these_?"

"' _They're wings, kid. Don't they teach you that at school?'"_ The creature mocked, laughing slightly.

Raito stomped his foot and stood up. "Don't fuck with me!" He yelled. "It may be normal for you, you monster! But I'm… I'm _a human being_! Wings are _not_ part of my anatomy! Why the _hell_ do I have these wings?!" Raito knew he was displaying emotions he _never ever_ did in such a long time, but _hell_ – can anyone blame him?

Hah. Thought so.

The creature shrugged, obviously not intimidated by the young man throwing a fit below him. _"'They're part of the gifts you've gained from merging with my power-enhanced notebook. They look cool, don't they? Designed them myself… modeled it after_ my _wings, of course – '"_

"DO I _LOOK_ LIKE I FREAKIN' _CARE_ IF _YOU_ DESIGNED IT, YOU OVER-SIZED CHICKEN?!" _That_ startled Ryuuk. "WINGS ARE FOR BIRDS. _NOT_ HUMANS. DO I LOOK

LIKE A BIRD TO YOU?! BESIDES, WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY – "

" _Onii-chan!"_

Oh, _shooooot_.

Raito stared wide-eyed at the door – but then he sighed in relief. Thank God for _locks_. He straightened himself and cleared his throat. "Y-Yes, Sayu?" Damn it.

"… _are you all, right? I've been hearing you yell for quite a while now."_ She said through the door. Then she snickered. _"Maybe_ _ **you**_ _need that appointment with the loony doctor_ _– "_

"Quiet, Sayu! I'm changing!" Raito reprimanded.

" _Eww! Naked onii-chan, yuuuuuuuuck!"_ There was a dash of footsteps and uncontrolled laughter. It eventually died down.

Raito sighed. Could things get any _worse_?

"' _Heh, heh. You have an interesting family, Raito. They all think you're crazy now. Kekekeke…'"_

"KEKEKEKE yourself, your real-life version of Quasimodo!" Raito hissed through a whisper of sorts. "What did you _mean_ by 'gifts'? And how the _hell_ does a notebook give them? Power enhanced, you say? EXPLAIN YOURSELF!" He poked a finger at the monster's chest for every question asked. Man-eating monster or _not_ – this ugly embodiment of creepiness is _sooo_ annoying!

Surprisingly enough, the creature didn't do anything about Raito's poking. He seemed amused, if anything. _"'I mean it as I meant it. You know what gifts are, right?'"_ Raito glared at him, but Ryuuk ignored it. _"'Well, as for how it gave them to you… well, I'm responsible for that. And its power-enhanced because I enhanced it with my powers.'"_

…right.

Raito's left eye began to twitch rather _dangerously_. "I said _explain yourself_ , you mo – "

" _Raito! Your prep course!"_

"Coming, kaa-san!" He called back. He then gave the creature an intense, strict glare. " _You_ wait here till I get back, understand? If anyone sees you – "

"' _They can't. Only you can see me.'"_ The creature explained casually, looking around the room. Gee, there were so many _books_ in this room. Is this guy a nerd…?

Raito huffed and crossed his arms. "And _why_ is that?"

He pointed at Raito's stomach. _"'The notebook in your gut used to be mine. Since it's in your possession currently, it's obvious that you're the only person able to see me right now.'"_ He explained. He watched as Raito rubbed his chin in understanding.

"Ahh… I see…" The gorgeous brunet said, turning away slightly. His wings folded behind him rather attractively – though he wasn't paying attention to them right now. Black and white feathers trailed on the floor as he paced in his room.

He passed the mirror eventually and stopped when he noticed a few… changes.

…was his hair _that_ brown?

He leaned in to get a better look – true enough, it wasn't the same shade of brown it used to be. Raito's hair was originally a vibrant caramel color – now it looked like mahogany red. Well, not _too_ red. There was still brown in there, but…

Since he _owned_ the hair, he obviously noticed the changes, no matter how subtle or… extreme.

Speaking of _extreme_ , what was he going to do about his wings?

He turned his head over his shoulder to give his wings a good look. They didn't look… _bad_. They were kinda cool, he had to admit. It was similar to how the creature's wings looked, only the inside was decorated with white feathers instead of black. The outside _still_ had black feathers, though… Raito wondered if that had some sort of meaning.

Anyway – how was he supposed to get rid of _this_?

"' _If you're wondering how to retract your wings, just put some stress on your back. They'll get the idea that you want it gone.'"_

"They?" Raito asked, looking at the creature.

Ryuuk nodded. _"'Yeah. Your wings sorta have a mind of their own… but it's not smart enough to go about individually. They belong to you, so… they'll understand what you want them to do.'"_ ' _Put some stress on your back, eh?'_ Raito thought in his head. He closed his eyes and… bent his back a bit. He retracted the muscles on his back and made them contract. He felt a tightening sensation as he continued to put stress on it.

Eventually, he felt something digging into his back – like someone pushing a hand through the snow; or a stick poking clay. It hurt a bit, Raito thought. When the stinging sensation stopped, he looked up at the mirror.

They were _gone_.

A cackle sounded behind him. _"'Kekeke… See? Not that hard, is it?'"_

"I suppose…" Raito began. "I suppose it's not bad. But listen, _you_ – you still have lots of explaining to do! Wait here till I get back – "

"' _Nah-ah. I'm coming with you.'"_

"WHAT?!" How _dare_ that creature defy him!

"' _You heard me, kid. I'm a-comin' with ya.'"_

"WHY?"

"'… ' _coz.'"_

"…BECAUSE?"

"'… _I might get bored.'"_

FUCK YOU.

 _Like a child's the innocent eyes_ _of people start to die_

 _Within the depths of disillusion_

 _They look for fleeting stars_

"…so only _I_ can see you?"

"' _Yap.'"_ A flutter of wings.

"And only _I_ can hear you?"

"' _That's true.'"_ A jiggling of chains.

"And if I talk to you while I'm walking on the street, a public place, people will assume that I'm talking to myself, thus crazy, correct?" _"'Naturally.'"_ A cackle.

"…so why am I still talking to you?"

"' _I have no idea, kid.'"_

"…damn you."

Raito stopped walking when he reached the building where he has his prep course. He took side glances and noticed that nobody was looking at him strangely yet. Perhaps they were _so_ busy in their own pathetic lives that they don't notice a slowly-going-crazy teenager walking amongst them.

Hmph. This world is a downright _mess_.

' _Well, since I've started talking…'_ He motioned his eyes to the side where Ryuuk was currently hovering, his head inclined to the side where a normal fruit stand was stationed. The creature was staring intently at the fruits.

More specifically, the apples.

"…apples?" Raito said out loud, blinking. The creature regarded him with minimal interest as he continued to stare at the fruit stand.

"'… _yeah. I'm just wondering how Human World apples taste like. Ours taste like… hell.'"_ He cackled at the pun. Ryuuk can even make _himself_ laugh sometimes!

Raito didn't find it the least bit funny. He just shook his head, muttered an indifferent 'whatever' and ascended up the short steps to enter the building – Ryuuk in _tow_.

The lesson was rather boring – but it was at least more challenging than the lectures he was expected to listen to at school. The drills were a little harder, but they didn't grasp the teenager's attention for too long. Math problems were solved in an average twelve-second duration – yeah, _that_ smart.

Or that _bored_.

He rested his chin on his palm as the teacher _draaaaaaawled_ on and on and on and _oooooooon_. It took a fair amount of self-control and dignity to _not fall asleep_.

Fehh. He wouldn't be so sleepy if the teacher wasn't so _boooooring_.

—and _just_ when he was about to close his eyes (a _rest_ , mind you), he heard a familiar cackle resonating behind him. He mentally _groaned_.

"' _Kekekeke… This is some boring shit, isn't it, Raito?'"_ The shinigami – Ryuuk told him earlier that he was a _death god_. But over-sized, mutilated-and-stitched-back chicken-person was more believable in his mind – cackled beside him. He was currently phasing his hand through a random student's head ( _"'Hey, this is kinda fun!'"_ ), a sign that the monster was bored as well.

…at least he's having fun. Raito had to be a _good boy_ and listen – hah, hah, no not really – to the teacher's lectures.

…hmph. Raito was having second thoughts about this good-boy thing…

After the lecture, some students stayed to finish their homework. Raito was one of those students; he didn't want to finish it at home. It was much better to complete homework somewhere other than home – it provided _distractions_ , after all.

The room provided the _proper_ atmosphere for homework-finishing, after all.

Just when he was about to set his pen down – he was _confident_ of getting a perfect score tomorrow – he heard an arrogant, annoying voice somewhere in the room.

" _Hey, Ryo…"_

Raito turned his head to stare at a duo currently talking to a seated dorky-looking student. His eyes narrowed – _Sudou_. Why he bothered to go to prep course was beyond his comprehension. True, Raito was incredibly smart as he is sharp, witty and utterly gorgeous – but there _are_ things in life that the pretty brunet couldn't understand, no matter how smart he was.

…And his current situation was one of them.

He was looking at the scene playing before him, but he wasn't paying attention. The top student was thinking about his… _special condition_ instead. He… he couldn't believe it. No matter how complacent or calm he seemed to be about it _now_ , it still bothered him to a certain degree of _disturbed_. Imagine – a while ago he was _just_ his school's (bored) top student who witnessed the descent of a mysterious black notebook that _apparently_ contained a supernatural power and had a tendency to… tickle whatever touched it (yes, he was _still_ at it), and now, he was… the same person, actually, but with a few… added features.

Good thing nobody noticed the darker shade of his hair.

And speaking of _added features_ , Raito could've _sworn_ he felt a little… stronger. _Quicker_. _Sexier_. Hah, well, he was _always_ sexy – but strong and quicker? He used to play _tennis_ , but he gave the sport up to concentrate on his studies. To finally notice the effects of a sport he _used_ to play _now_ – well, tennis couldn't be the reason for that.

Probably some of the 'gifts' Ryuuk was talking about earlier.

He blew at his fringe and spared the creature a glance – Ryuuk was currently entertaining himself with the _ABC_ poster on the wall… its existence often perturbed others, considering that this _is_ a prep course for _seniors_. Raito wanted an explanation as soon as possible, but he couldn't just approach a random spot in front of the wall and start talking to no one in particular. That was just _silly_.

And un-Raito-y.

The dorky student – ohh, how Raito _sympathizes…_ — looked up at the intimidating young man currently hovering above him.

"Uhh…what is it, Sudou-kun?"

He regarded him with what _others_ would deem as uncertainty, but Raito sensed it as _fear_ – wait, he can _sense_ that? What, did he have _Justice Senses_ or something…?

Good _God_ , this better _not_ be another 'gift', Ryuuk!

This Sudou character offered an opened palm and sported a sneaky smirk. "Lend me some money. Two thousand will do _juuuuuuuust_ fine."

Raito snorted in disgust. Great – _extortion_. Can the world get _any_ worse?

"Huh… A-Again?"

"Hmm? What're you gonna do about it, Ryo…?"

The hold on the pen Raito held tightened. His eyebrows furrowed as he watched the scene before him. Raito could sense the dorky boy's reluctance as he slowly took out his wallet. The hold on the pen tightened even more.

Bullying.

Two one-thousand bills peeked out the wallet.

Extortion.

He reluctantly offered it to the intimidating Sudou. _Injustice_.

"Sweeeeeeet! We're going to the arcade tonight!" _It was just_ _ **sick**_ _._

Raito was unaware that he had already broken the pen seconds ago,

 _With these our lives_

 _The elevated lights_

 _They will be born_

 _Caused to bloom forth_

 _Here lies our fate_

 _To continue on unceasingly_

 _Carved in radiance_

 _The precious times scar as our remaining vestiges._

' _This world is such a dirty place.'_ Raito thought to himself as he got out of the building and into the dark night. He looked up at the sky and at the moon. When he took one look at it, the brunet felt a trace of warmth flow through his body… as if it was trying to calm him down.

Well, it worked… a little.

Ryuuk emerged from the confines of the building and looked up at the moon too. He made an 'ooh' shape with his huge, black lips as he hovered next to his human companion.

"' _Hmm… the moon's purdy tonight, ain't it?'"_

Raito scoffed and turned to walk home. "It's _pretty_ , not _purdy_ , Ryuuk. And there's _no_ such thing as 'ain't'," He whispered to prevent people from looking at him weirdly.

…unless they've already started.

Paranoia kicked in and Raito quickly did some side glances. Ryuuk stopped to look at his companion looking around for suspicious characters. The creature cackled (kekekeke) as Raito even looked through some dimmed windows.

Ahh… the paranoia was finally kicking in.

Ryuuk cackled as Raito continued to go all paranoid. His shoulders convulsed as he did so. _**"'**_ _Since he merged with the Death Note so quickly, the signs, the abilities… as well as the bad side-effects are starting to show._ _ **'"**_ He thought to himself. His red eyes gleamed with excitement and eagerness. _**"'**_ _I was right when I decided to throw the enhanced notebook down the Human World – humans are such interesting creatures!_ _ **'"**_

Raito finally stopped looking around and clutched his head – it hurt from turning around too much. _'Damn, when did I get so paranoid…? Could this be a side-effect of the merging or someth – '_ He then groaned. _'Aww, hells, I did_ not _just acknowledge that fact!'_

Oh, but he did. Darn it.

' _Well, this couldn't get any wor – '_

" _Onee-saaaaaaaan!"_

'… _What – '_

Raito braced himself as whirlwind hit him when a group of speeding motorcycles passed him.

Ryuuk was also subtly brought by the wind ( _"'Whooooaa!'"_ ) When Raito recovered, he noticed that his clothes and hair were disheveled. He squeaked – …what? – and fixed his clothes and hair. He sent a glare at Ryuuk who started cackling.

"Shut up, Ryuuk." He reprimanded as he blew at his fringe. He adjusted his pants and turned to face the direction where the motorcycle-maneuvering morons headed –

…and couldn't have been _angrier_ at the sight before him.

A female passerby was surrounded by four or five hoodlums. She was surprised at being called, and her expression seemed to have morphed into what seemed like _fear_ when she was addressed to by the bikers.

"Hey, onee-san! How 'bout having some _fun_ with us tonight…?"

Raito seethed. _Again,_ with the injustice? _Again,_ with the indignity? How _much_ of this was Raito going to witness?

"Hey, Taku-san," A motorcycle minion commented from behind the frightened woman. "You got good taste man!" One could just _feel_ the hint of _perverseness_ and _mischief_ oozing out from those words. Raito clenched his fists at that.

Ryuuk noticed the brunet going all _clenchy-fisty_ , and cocked his head to the side in slight wonder. He was aware that the boy he was currently with had a _superb_ sense of justice – but then, it wasn't that surprising that a young man like Raito would react at such a way, considering as he was _just where_ "injustice" was taking place.

Red eyes **gleamed** – perhaps he was going to witness something _fun_ in a short while…

The chubby, almost-drunk-like _man_ – Raito assumed he was the leader – slid his tinted glasses down his nose to appear _cooler_ to the woman. "The name's Shibuimaru Takuo," He grinned even wider. "That's _Shibutaku_ for short… heh, heh, heh…"

"So how about it, onee-saaaaan?"

"I… I don't th-think so!" She said, frightened while trying to find a way to escape.

Someone emerged from the back of a motorcycle and approached the poor woman. "Ah, hah, hah, hah! She doesn't _think_ so!"

"Awww, how _cuuuuuuuuute_!"

The brunet couldn't _believe_ it – these _bastards_ were playing with the poor woman! An innocent citizen who _probably_ pays all her bills! Works! Feeds! _Lives_! Raito couldn't stand it… and if there was one thing he couldn't stand…

…it was **In** _justice_.

The _leader_ – this _Shibutaku_ person – took out a handlebar and held it against the woman's neck. It successfully disoriented her. Shibutaku – grr, Raito _hated_ the _lameness_ of that name! – cackled and said to his cronies:

" _Take off all her clothes!"_

…that **did it**.

The hoodlums looked _excited_ and _hungry_. "Ehh? Are you suuuuuure?!" Some grinned perversely. Some flexed their fingers in an excited motion. "Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh!"

The shinigami was amused. Humans are just downright _sick_ … but that's what made them _soo_ stupid and _soooo_ funny!

"' _Heh, heh, your race is pretty silly, Raito…'"_

"PLEASE STOP!" Her belt was removed – she tried desperately to hold them off.

But…

"' _You humans keep doing whatever you want – bad stuff, causing calamities… then blaming each other for it. It's stupid, but highly entertaining for us above-dwellers…'"_ It was probably not _enough_.

"' _You have a system you call "Law" to prevent this kind of thing, don't you?'"_

"Please!"

"' _So why don't you guys implement it?'"_

Laughter. Evil, maniacal, _perverted_ laughter.

"' _You humans really are interesting, Raito…'"_ Injustice.

Indignity.

 _Evil_.

"' _Hmm…? Raito?'"_ Ryuuk immediately turned his head to his right – wait, where was _Raito_?

Shibutaku laughed from the top of his lungs, "AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH – "It was the sound of _evil_. Crime. Destruction. The innocent was often _hurt_. The lives of those who only wish to make the world a safer place was often desecrated. Innocence was _defiled_. Intelligence and power used for selfish reasons.

The world of evil… _POW._

…was about to get a taste of its own medicine.

 _BOOM._

Shibutaku was punched across the street – his big teeth were punched off, and his fat, lumpy body collided with the gray pavement. His glasses were crushed under his weight – a loud, echoing _crack_ reverberated in the hollow street.

The woman was on the ground, wide-eyed.

The lackeys were staring at their leader's fallen form, surprised.

Ryuuk was staring at the scene with _gleaming_ red eyes, cackling.

Raito's fist was still held tightly in the air – his hair disheveled and his face _angry_.

"Leave her _alone_ , you bastards!" He growled out.

The woman stared up at Raito – _opportunity_ _ **strikes**_! She stood up, yelled a very loud 'THANK YOU!' and ran away.

—but when Raito heard a voice outside his own mental reality, he _froze_.

'… _Good God, what have I_ _ **done**_ _…?'_ He glanced sideways – a punk was staring at him with angered shock. Another glance to the _other_ side – two other punks were glaring at him, barring their teeth and cracking their knuckles.

' _DEAR GOD, WHAT_ _ **HAVE**_ _I DONE?'_ He started panicking. Why, why, _why_ did he let his emotions get the best of him? Adrenaline managed to knock that guy out – quite a _fair_ distance, he could say – but now it's _gone_. He was now frightened, doomed –

…alone.

 **Shit.**

"Y-You… YOU LITTLE PUNK!" The man on his left raised a fist to punch him, and the others tried to grapple him – but Raito managed to escape their attacks and started running off further into the streets.

"F-Fuck!" Shibutaku tried to sit up. He grasped his swollen face and wiped the blood off his mouth and cheek. He pointed a finger at his lackeys. "G-Get that little shit!"

 _Vrooooooooooom!_

He breathed and ran. Breathed and ran. **BREATHED AND RAN**. He panted, darting into every direction _possible_ in order to escape.

 _Vrooooooooooom!_

' _This… this is all that stupid shinigami's fault!'_ He thought as visions clouded his mind. _'Sayu's ideals, society's status, injustice's existence… this is_ _ **their entire**_ _fault!'_ Shit, he could hear the engines! They were **fucking** getting _closer_! Raito was going to _die_!

' _And if it weren't for that notebook…'_

" _THERE HE IS! I can see him!"_

" _Don't let the fucker get away!"_

' _And if it weren't for my desire…'_ He blanked when he came across a dead end.

…was this the end of him?

"Look! He's trapped!"

"Hah, hah, not so tough _now_ , huh, you little shit?"

Shibutaku – in his _toothless glory_ – seethed and pointed an accusing finger at Raito. "BEAT

HIM, SOCK HIM – _KILL HIM_! I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU FUCKIN' DO TO THIS PUNK! GET RID OF HIM!"

Raito backed away quickly. He eventually reached the wall – he even tried climbing up for a moment. Panic can make people do such _weird_ things.

Even people like Raito.

"WAIT! I'LL JUST **KILL** HIM MYSELF!" Shibutaku stumbled his way towards Raito and pulled out a silver gun.

' _OH, MY GOD…'_ Raito's eyes widened as he readied himself for an _unpleasant_ impact of bullets.

" _Say your prayers, you little punk."_

" _Heaven forbid you make your mommy_ _ **cry**_ _."_

Raito shut his eyes closed. If only he had the _power_ to –

…wait.

His eyes opened just when Shibutaku aimed the gun at his forehead.

…he _did_ have the power.

He looked up to stare at the seething biker with his wide, _realization-dawned_ caramel eyes. Shibutaku smirked. Evil. Injustice. _Murder_.

"Good riddance, you little pu – "He was about to pull the trigger when – _SNAP!_

Raito clutched the man's arm with his hand and _snapped_ it.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Shibutaku's eyes began to water as

he clutched his now-bent arm. He had pulled the trigger, but the gun was facing upwards and had hit the only light source. They were left with the moon in the sky. But it wasn't enough.

The other punks gasped in horror as the fat leader stumbled to the ground and looked at Raito as if he was some _monster_.

"Y-Y-Y-Y-YOU…!" He pointed a finger at Raito and then, shamelessly, _fainted_. The others stared in shock as Raito maintained the pose when he had just snapped the fainted man's arm. The brunet looked up to gaze at them and they gasped –

…all they could see was _red_.

One man managed to get out of his panicked stupor and quickly went over to retrieve the gun. Raito's eyes turned to the side as the man successfully retrieved the killing instrument.

He laughed – though forced and somewhat frightened – and pointed the gun at him. Raito had backed further against the wall where the moonlight had no territory over.

"D-DIE!"

 _Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!_

There were lights per trigger pulled; they showed Raito's calmed composure. Unmoving. Unafraid.

Then, there was silence.

 _Click, click, click_ went the trigger as the man tried to shoot – _just_ to create more _light_. To give them the _assurance_ , the _proof_ that this… this FREAK was dead!

But it was all silent – like a hollow street.

"…is…" Someone began, trembling in fear. "…is he… dea… de-de-de-deDEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

His question was interrupted when Raito's leg appeared, but that wasn't the reason why they were all panicking now.

Raito emerged with wings covering his body like a shield.

Black wings.

 _Shield_.

"HOLY SHIT! THIS GUY'S A FREAK!" They all scrambled to their bikes with Shibutaku over their shoulders. They tried to get away as fast as they could, though Raito didn't show signs of stopping them.

Shibutaku was hunched over someone's back when he regained consciousness. His eyes then widened at the sight of the brunet.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He clutched on his lackey's shoulder and tried to edge away even further from the teenager. "LET'S GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" _Vrooooooooooooooooooom!_

There were screams as the engines signaled their retreat. Echoes of 'Freak! Freak! Freak!' and 'Devil! Devil! Devil!' reverberated within the narrow alley.

But eventually, the sound died out.

Raito was alone.

"'… _kekekeke…'"_

…or was he?

The brunet looked up to see the figure of his shinigami companion looking over him. He was on top of the building – his eyes were gleaming an exciting red as his shoulders convulsed due to the excitement.

Raito's wings stretched away from his body – elongated into beautiful wings of white and black. He raised his hand, the one he used to snap the cruel, fat man's arm, and examined it with a sharp, observant eye.

 _He was_ _ **strong**_ _._

Raito's wings spread _down_ as he looked at them.

 _He was_ _ **invincible**_ _._

He looked up at the still-cackling shinigami.

"Ryuuk…" He began. "You have a _lot_ of explaining to do…" _He had the_ _ **power**_ _._

Ryuuk nodded vigorously as he thought, _**"'**_ _Humans… are such fun!_ _ **'"**_

Raito gazed at the horizon, the _heavens_ – praise whoever God up there intended this gift to be upon him! He can _clench_ those fists and use them for good. He can use his God-given wings for _justice_!

Power – used for a deeper, more _dignified_ purpose.

' _I'll save the world with these God-given powers,'_ He told himself. _'One day, everything will_ _ **change**_ _… now that_ I'm _here.'_ He was the champion of righteousness. The harbinger of truth. The _killer_ of crime –

 _Killer…_

… _Kira…_

"Kira…" He breathed, and a low chuckle escaped his lips. That's _it_.

Kira.

He… is Kira.

He spread his wings, and without his knowing, he began to _ascend_ – _'I'll show them – I'll show them all!'_

With _great power_ …

He flew into the night sky, Ryuuk then following in tow.

Comes _great responsibility_.

 _Our times were stopped_

 _My tears were shed_

 _But to my life_

 _Replacement was found_

 _I'm left to ask_

 _Are all I love fated to fade?_

 _The sheer thought of a tomorrow_

 _A dream painful to stir up_

 _An illusion_

 _Much like feathers falling from the sky_

 _If they can say_

 _That this dazed pain within_

 _Is truly what "to live" means_

 _Then the only truth_

 _Is the bright and never fading you_

 _Leaving only scatterings_

 _Of our dazzling remains_

 _That so rapidly decay_

 **CHAPTER ENDS**

LINE BREAK

 **CHAPTER 3 – A VINDICATED RESOLVE**

 _The sky is dyed red by the ebony darkness_

The sound of sirens interrupted the peace in the heart of the city.

" _Here we are – live at the local bank!"_

 _A chiming of chains…_

Several policemen lined up in front of the bank – they readied their pistols while commandeering officers barked orders and spread other policemen around the area.

" _There seems to be a situation!"_

"Officers!" One screamed, pointing a white-gloved hand towards a specific spot near the building. "Assume positions! Block all exits!"

"Sir!" They affirmed and went to their respective positions.

 _And the distant stardust swallowed up_

Inside the bank, several people were sitting on the floor – all were scared, _frightened_. Some were clutching their heads as tears fell down from their swollen, traumatized eyes. The older citizens clasped their hands together while muttering a saving prayer.

"I believe in God, the Father Almighty…"

A masked man pointed a pistol at a crying child whilst she tried her best to bury herself deeper within her mother's arms.

"Shut that fuckin' brat up or I'll fuckin' shoot her!" He yelled and twitched the trigger – making it go _click_ silently – to emphasize his _point_.

The woman screamed in protest, clutching her daughter's head in an attempt to shield her from the blow to come.

" _Several innocent citizens are being held captive inside!"_

"Noooo!" She shrieked, holding her crying child in her arms. "Not my baby! Please, not my baby!" The woman buried her face in her crying girl's hair, whispering prayers and lulling her baby to sleep.

 _God help us._

 _A flutter of wings…_

 _In this transient moment_

A random police officer approached the commander in charge of the situation. He respectfully saluted before yelling:

"Sir! We've successfully blocked all the exits!" He breathed. "But the criminals don't seem to be moving at all!"

"Blast!" The moustache-twitching officer bellowed, brandishing the walkie-talkie like a flag. "Isn't there anything we could do?"

The police officer looked at the surrounded building and disappointedly and helplessly shook his head in shame.

"If you mean anything that won't hurt the civilians, sir…" He paused. "Then we're powerless."

The man almost crushed the device in his hand as he looked at the heavily-surrounded bank – worrying for the safety of the innocent people inside it.

 _God help them._

 _As the snowing ashes fall_

An all-too familiar creature loomed over the side of a building adjacent to the local bank – watching the fiasco unfold. A cackle escaped its huge, sharp-toothed mouth; evidence for its amusement.

"' _Ne, Raito…'"_ Spoke the creature in a mystical, unearthly voice. _"'…isn't it about time you save the day again?'"_

He looked over his shoulder to find a _strapping_ young man in clad in tight, all-black – chains decorating his clavicle, waist, hips and knee-high boots. Two belts were strapped around his waist and hips respectively – adding a dynamic attractiveness to his otherwise-already scandalously- _delicious_ outfit.

Caramel eyes looked up at the night sky, his vision enraptured by the beauty of the moon. It would've been a _peaceful_ night for him.

If it weren't for the ugliness of the world…

' _Crime will pay.'_ He thought as he grasped the thin black domino mask (1) in his hands. Slowly, he placed it over his eyes. His identity was _safe_ , protected.

It's _time_.

 _His wings spread._

"Yeah."

 _He ascended._

"It's **time** ," Crime _will_ pay.

 _He soared._

And Raito was getting the check.

 _I watched it through the window of grief_

"Idiots!" A tall, masked man reprimanded his lackeys. "We're taking too much time here! The fucking police have already blocked the exits!" He was currently harassing the citizens – ahh, screams of _fear_ and _agony_.

Being evil has its _perks_.

Another masked man emerged from the vault and led the others who were carrying the same bags – all filled with _lots of money_.

"Relax, boss!" The first lackey supplied, carrying the big bags as if they were his precious babies. "If worse comes to worst, we can always _blow_ the fucking place up!" A man behind him lifted a bomb-like device in emphasis, causing the conscious victims to shriek and scream for mercy.

The man – the _leader_ , apparently – grinned beneath his mask and laughed maniacally. "Yeah, yeah! That'll be _fucking_ fantastic!"

Just when he was about to laugh again, a familiar cry of displeasure reached the inner sanctums of his dirty, dirty _ear_. He jerked his head to a familiar pair of mother-and-daughter – the mother, having noticed his attention to them, tried desperately to silence her frightened daughter.

"Hush, _hush_ , baby – "She stroked her hair, only to look up to a centimeter-away gun pointed between her eyes.

"You _bitch_!" He yelled, causing the other victims to squeal and shake. "I told you to _shut that fucking kid_ up!"

"She's just a _child_! Leave my daughter alone!" She held her sweet, crying daughter tightly against her chest while looking at the masked man with obvious dislike and rage despite the fact that he had pointed a gun at her.

Ahh, how the brave become blind.

He made a disgruntled noise with his mouth – _tchh!_ – and suddenly reached out to grab the little girl's arm. The child's shrieks only amplified as she was separated from her mother. The man winced when not _only_ did the kid just get a _lot_ more annoying, but the woman in front of him was _also_ screaming.

Fuck. Why were women so _loud_?

"NOOOO!" She screamed, tears flowing from her eyes. She reached out and tried to retrieve her daughter, but the man's foot against her chest prevented her from doing so. "Not my baby! My Chihiro! NOT MY CHIHIRO!"

" _Mommy_!" The girl said in English – giving everyone the impression that this child was from foreign parents, or at least, a foreign father.

The man grimaced. He _hated_ foreigners. Especially English-speaking ones.

Then, he grinned. He pointed the gun at the kid's head.

The woman shrieked in horror. "NOOO! MY BABY! GIVE ME BACK MY BABY, YOU MONSTER!"

"Shut up, bitch!" He kicked her quite ruthlessly to the ground. "This is what you get for not shutting this damn brat up!"

The child stopped crying, but instead settled for shivering and whimpering. She could feel the _pressure_ on that gun. Awaiting. Anticipating. Just a _twitch_ of the finger and she was good as dead.

That sent _chills_ down the man spine.

He chuckled evilly as he prepared to pull the trigger. "Say your _prayers_ , you damn brat – "He was about to pull the trigger when the lights went out.

 _I never dreamed_

" _W-Wait… hold on a second! The lights in the building have gone out!"_ The reporter a few meters away from the building looked over his shoulder to examine the scene. He went back to looking at the camera. _"Could it be the criminals' doing? What are they scheming? The police are wondering what's going on!"_

"What the bloody -?" They suddenly felt a wind hit them – fast, unnoticeable, yet… there. Some ignored it out of indifference. Some looked around, wondering if they were the only ones who felt the breeze.

But the commander looked up and saw –

Feathers.

Black and white feathers.

 _I stand frozen_

"WTF" was clearly seen on each and every one of the people's faces – well, if you can see _in the dark_.

The man who was about the shoot the child looked around, alarmed. Their only light source was the moon, but it wasn't much help. What the hell? Did the police cut off the power? No… that wouldn't be right. They would wanna see what's going on inside, right?

"Who…" He stared, just a whisper.

"…boss?" The first lackey asked.

He turned around, the kid still whimpering in his arms. "WHO THE FUCK TURNED THE FUCKING LI – "

 _POW!_

In a matter of seconds, the masked men could see the moonlit form of their leader collapsing a few feet away from them – he landed on some _shocked_ hostages (to say they were shock was a lame understatement).

The child, however, wasn't with him when he fell.

The woman started to panic. Where was his daughter?

"Chi… Chihiro?" She called out, the only one to break the silence. When she was met with no answer – not a cry, not a 'mommy' – she started crying again. She ducked her head and screamed. "CHIHIRO!"

" _Mommy!_ " The child suddenly appeared in front of her – arms opened and welcoming. The woman stared in shock.

Why was her daughter floating in _thin_ –

She looked up.

 _Oh… my…_

Her daughter was carried by what looked like a winged… savior.

… _God?_

One of the lackeys reacted. "Sh…SHIT!" They took out their guns and readied them. "G-G-GET THAT SON OF A BITCH!" The first one screamed, obviously distraught and frightened. What the _hell_ was a monster doing here?! They started shooting– _bang, bang, bang_ – in an attempt to kill the creature.

The winged humanoid merely turned around. In slow-motion, the bullets were sluggishly racing towards him – bronze-colored ammunition nearing, getting _closer_.

He _smiled_.

He quickly – but carefully – dropped the child in her mother's arms. Those beautiful wings – the woman kneeling down gasped as she saw black _and_ white – spread and covered him.

Like a shield.

Everything was now back to normal again – the bullets were fired like lightning speed. But no matter how fast they are or how quickly they were fired, they all bounced back against the surface of the black wings. He slowly approached the goons while he sported a menacing, confident smirk. The first lackey _clearly_ understood what the smirk meant –

They were _doomed_ like _shit_.

"Fuck!" He threw away his gun, having used up all his ammunition. He lunged at the winged encased man and threw a fist back to punch him –

Only to be _kicked_ instead.

A slender leg emerged from the black-feathered shield like _lightning_ – it flashed, it hit, it _dealt killer damage_. Blood leaked from the lackey's mouth as teeth shot out like rockets. It was a sight to behold!

The man gave a small groan before becoming unconscious.

Before any of the other could react, the winged man swooped in and packed a punch – or two, or five…

He delivered a _nice_ punch to someone's gut –

 _Pow!_

He turned around to do the same to the lackey behind him –

 _Punch!_

There was someone advancing towards him – with a knife! He smirked and raised his foot –

 _Kick!_

The intensity of the blow caused the man to stumble into the rest –

 _Slam!_

"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoaaaaaaa!" They stumbled on each other, making no room for escape –

 _Crash!_

They landed on their asses, and with one simultaneous look up –

 _PAAAAAAAAIN!_

The winged man slammed a desk on top of their heads – _knocking them out_!

The first lackey – in his bloody-lipped glory – sat up, wincing at the pain he felt on his face. _Shit!_ Talk about a _stiff upper lip_! He couldn't feel _anything_ that was on his face right now.

In fact, when he moved to turn his head to the left, he couldn't feel himself _smile_.

The winged creature straightened and gazed at the crowd – they were shocked to see that it was _indeed_ **human** – why, with that flowing, reddish-brown hair, luscious skin and _killer_ six-pack abs! It was a sight to behold, and the victims all thought of the same thing –

And the child, innocent as she is, voiced all their thoughts:

" _Angel_ ,"

But then, something _happened_ –

 _His instincts tingled._

 **EXPLODE.**

Raito instinctively wrapped his wings around civilians within the explosion's reach – most of them were senior citizens who covered their faces with their arms. His back arched as he felt the pain and heat smoldering his back. His back began to hurt due to the pressure inflicted on his wings.

' _Shit,'_ He said to himself, gulping. _'I'm running out of_ _ **energy**_ _.'_

Uh-oh.

 _There…_

The people surrounding the building were taken aback when they heard, felt and _saw_ an explosion.

Dear _God_.

" _An explosion!"_ The reporter yelled, looking into the scene. The police were panicking, asking each other what happened and what to do. They settled for calling the paramedics and the fire department. _"What a drastic change of events! A bomb detonated and burst the building into flames! The victims – what the hell is happening?!"_ He hadn't meant to say that last line; he asked random passing ( _running wildly_ ) policemen who ignored him. They were shocked when the victims started running out the building. _"The victims!"_

Everybody was all WTF.

" _What the hell's going on?!"_

 _I come for you_

' _Shit…'_ Raito puffed as the impact died down – all that's left were flames and falling debris. … _ **Terr**_ **ific** …

He looked around to see the victims panicking, running around towards the exit. He spread his wings and flew away just in time to avoid rubble from above.

"Faster!" He yelled, voice slightly hoarsened. He didn't want to seem like a mere teenager from his voice, so he decided to alter it a bit. A nicely-toned arm brandished around as he leads the victims to safety. "Less talk more _run_!"

" _Mommy!_ "

"OH, MY _GOD_ , CHIHIRO!"

Raito tried not to groan as the last set of victims rushed out the exit. Grr, them again? How much trouble was that pair going to get themselves into? He watched as the victims safely rushed out.

' _Heh. It could be worse – '_ And conveniently enough, some debris decided to play a little _joke_ on the black-clad young man and _fell_ right in _front_ of the **only available exit**.

Raito _swore_.

"Fucking shit," He muttered under his breath. He turned his head to look at the reunited pair – mother leaning down to hug daughter; daughter holding arms up to reach mommy. Raito spread his wings above his head to avoid getting burnt as he approached them. OK, things could _not_ possibly get any wor –

Raito looked up. HOLY CRAP!

Conveniently enough – a **gain** – the debris attached to the ceiling decided that it was _the moment_ to finally fall down. And it _just_ so happened to be on top of the area where the mommy-baby duo was currently situated.

Raito _groaned_.

The child looked up and pointed at a _pretty_ , red pile of _rubble_ shaking above them. She pointed at it with curiosity.

" _Mommy, look!_ "

The brunette turned her head around and gasped in horror. Oh, my _God_! They were going to die! The debris began to shake, and within seconds, it started falling.

The woman clutched her baby against her shoulder while muttering prayers.

The child – to her _horror_ – giggled and bounced in her place. " _It's so pretty…_ "

She squinted her eyes in hopes of squeezing away the thoughts of _pain_ and death out of her mind, but then, she was only met with a cool breeze and a strange… _feeling_.

It's like she was _flying_.

Her baby girl giggled again. " _Look, mommy! He's so preeetty!_ "

'… _he…?'_ She turned to look up and _gasped_.

He was carrying the two of them into the night sky!

As her girl giggled – " _Wee, wee! I'm flying, mommy! I'm flying! Go, go, Angel Man!_ " – she looked down and was simply _astounded_. They were _quite_ a few meters up in the air – flying away from the crime scene. Suddenly remembering, she looked at her shoulder and sighed in relief; her bag was still slung over her shoulder. That's good.

She could hear the sirens of ambulances and fire trucks down the street, and wondered if anyone has noticed a flying creature in the sky. Although people were _busy_ at the moment – a crime is a _crime_ – but then, not everyone's concerned with the scene. Somebody might be _looking_ out right now, pointing at them as they sped through the sky like the wind –

She certainly hoped not.

Suddenly they stumbled – " _Whoooaa!_ " – and they were starting to fly _lower_ and _lower_ and _lower_.

She noticed they were at the park.

When her feet landed on the ground, she gasped when the winged creature stumbled and clutched his side. She turned her head and noticed a trail of blood…

…from his wings?

Then, she noticed that the _white_ part was stained with blood. But the black part of his wings wasn't hurt at all!

…maybe she was just imagining things. Smoke got into her head.

Her daughter looked intently at the hurt man who saved her. With a determined look in her eye, she opened her mom's bag – "Chihiro…?" – and took out what appeared to be a fruit.

Her mom gasped when her daughter approached the man – expensive baby boots clicking as she did so. Although the woman _knew_ that this man was a good man – a _hero_ , a _savior_ – she still couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

…so, she just watched.

Raito placed his arm on the bench seat and clutch his side with the other. _Dammit_. The inside of his wings got sliced by the debris. He had to save these two, so he couldn't really close his wings to activate shield mode.

Ahh. The things he does for the good of mankind.

He smiled secretly to himself. _'I should get a_ bloody _award, for this.'_ Then he smirked. _'No pun intended.'_

He was too busy with his thoughts to notice the girl approaching him. But he _did_ sense her presence when she was within touching reach.

The masked man jerked his head to look at her, but was surprised when he was face-to-face with an all-too-familiar fruit.

An _apple_.

The girl smiled at him, a deep blush on her sheepish face. " _Ahh, mister… thank you for saving me!_ " She said in English. The mother thought he wouldn't understand, so she approached them to offer a translation. When she got nearer, though, she was surprised when the man reached out for the apple and smiled at her.

 _Smiled_.

" _Thank you_ ," He said in perfect, liquid-like English. The girl squealed with delight and went behind her mother, embarrassed. He bit into the apple – a crisp _crunch_ sound echoed throughout the area. She watched as he ate it, and almost gasped –

She opened her mouth to speak. "You – "

"It's all right." He interjected, suddenly standing up. He seemed rather _fine_ now unlike seconds ago, the brunet hero ate the apple 'round the _core_ and threw it across the area to shoot it in the proper waste bin. Her eyes followed the consumed apple – _that was quite far!_ – and looked back at the man as she heard a flutter of wings and felt a cool breeze hit her.

The man was starting to fly away.

Her girl poked her head out behind her mother's legs and waved at the retreating figure. " _Bye, bye, Angel Man!_ "

'… _bye?'_ The woman's eyes widened and before she could even think of doing it, she _did_ it.

"W-Wait! Stranger!" She called out. Immediately, Raito stopped mid-fly and turned around as he floated in the air. Her breath was taken away – he was simply _too ethereal_.

…too bad she was already married.

She looked at him with an expression of humble gratitude and supreme admiration. She bowed fully and said to him, "Thank you for saving me and my daughter!"

He looked at her and smiled. He nodded, bowing slightly. "It was the right thing to do," He said simply. He then turned around and started flying away again. "Well, farewe – "

"Wait, hero!" She called out again. The brunet stopped; the _hero_ certainly caught Raito's attention, but he didn't turn back.

She waited a few moments before speaking, softly:

"May I know who my savior is?"

The man's wings fluttered up and down as he continued to float there, as if soaking up the moon's beautiful light. He glanced up and breathed.

"I am the light in the darkness – the beacon of hope, the symbol of truth. I uphold justice above all things, and I will put a stopper to those who offend it." He said, raising his arms in a dynamic swoop of _magnificence_.

"I am the killer of crime," A silent gasp.

"The duke of justice,"

A hand raised to the sky.

"The harbinger of truth,"

He rose up higher so that his figure was _just_ covering the moon's light – a silhouette of noble glory and dark radiance that would last _forever_ clouding her thoughts, opening her eyes, _making her remember_ …

With one dramatic turn of a head, he smiled.

"I am Kira."

 _He vanished._

 _My hopes were alone in the desolate night sky_

 _They soared high until they were crushed_

 _Each time the world changes shape_

 _The things I want to protect_

 _I end up breaking them_

Kira was all over the news.

" _He's big and_ _ **strong**_ _– "_

" _He's ALL we ever talk about!"_

"— _radiant and_ _ **poised**_ _– "_

"— _KIRA SAVES THE DAY ONCE AGAIN!"_

"— _and when he twists, you can_ just _see a small glimpse of his – "_

" _This guy is truly AMAZING. He saves lives, fights crimes… and raises Japan's popularity points! Man, this guy is simply_ divine _!"_

" _He could be God in disguise!"_

" _He's the SAVIOR!"_

" _He's JUSTICE!"_

" _HE'S HELLUVA HAWT!"_

Raito watched, amused, as he continued to browse through all the news and gossip channels they had on TV. He smirked as a ranting female incessantly dictated how _divine_ Kira is and how utterly _smexay_ his ass is (hell yeah!). He chuckled under his breath as he flipped through every channel in their network.

Yeah. It was _cool_ being a superhero.

It had been three weeks after he found the notebook. _Two_ weeks since he started using his powers. Well, he needed some _time_ to think about it! And when he finally made up his mind, he _had_ to practice, didn't he?

His eyes began to grow distant as a memory began to replay in his mind –

 _Oh, the sinful darkness_

 _Tugging at my heartstrings_ _Your voice is like anesthesia_

 _Coldly, it robs me of my senses._

 _Flashback_

Raito, tired, exhausted, fatigued – well, you _get_ it – locked the door and faced a very amused shinigami.

"Ryuuk…"

Caramel eyes gave the creature a sharp, calculating glance.

" _Explain._ "

"' _Kekekeke…'"_ The shinigami cackled, then cocked his head to the side. _"'…what do you want to know?'"_

Raito limped – his back _hurt_ , dammit! – towards the bed and succumbed to the warmth of clean sheets and comfortable cushions. He breathed in its clean scent for a moment before turning his head so that his eyes met Ryuuk's.

" _Everything_." It came out muffled, but the spiky-haired shinigami understood perfectly.

The shinigami approached the wiped-out teenager and sat on the edge of the bed. He looked quite stern. His lips were twitched in a permanent smile, but Raito could tell – from the silence alone – that he was thinking.

How should Ryuuk explain this?

"'… _where do you want me to begin, Raito?'"_ He asked, unsure of what to say first. He was looking up the ceiling as he crossed his _long_ legs under his thighs. How _he_ managed to do that, Raito will probably never know.

It creeped him out. Really.

The tired brunet sighed as he sat up in the same position his shinigami companion was in. "You can start with why you dropped the notebook in the first place." He supplied. A look of 'ohyeah!' hit Ryuuk's face like a brick.

"' _Oh! That,'"_ Yeah, _that_. Ryuuk scratched his head and made a 'hmm' noise with his throat. Then, he shrugged. _"'I was bored.'"_

Raito unceremoniously fell on the floor. On his back. In pain.

 _Oww._

"What the fuck?!" He yelled – but not loud enough for the people outside to hear – but the shinigami held that not-so-serious _serious_ face. "You gotta be _kidding_ me! "Those red eyes bored into his own, as if to say: 'I'm not.' No fucking way.

Raito sat again on his previous position and stared at the _serious_ shinigami. He looked at him with those auburn eyes filled with confusion and curiosity.

The shinigami shrugged again. _"'What I said is true – you dunno what it's like being up there, doing nothing. Us Death Gods use the notebook like you guys do – writing on it, I mean. We write names of those we wish to steal lifespan from,'"_ At Raito's even-more-confused look, Ryuuk waved it off. _"'It's shinigami stuff. I'll tell you some other time,'"_

The brunet analyzed what he just heard – apparently, the notebook _was_ for writing use. But what confused Raito was that they used it to write down the names of those they… wish to _steal_ lifespan from? Is that how they survive? Could _he,_ do it?

He looked at his stomach in wonder. Was it even _possible_ to bring it back out?

As if he read his mind, the shinigami answered, _"'I'm afraid it's impossible to get it back out, Raito.'"_

He wasn't even surprised Ryuuk knew what he was thinking; he was looking at his _stomach_ after all. But then, why couldn't he…?

Ryuuk suddenly shrugged. _"'I don't know the exact details, kid, but… they say that a power imbued notebook can grant its host powers beyond human comprehension. You know, flight, strength, speed… that sort of other-worldly thing you humans seems so skeptic about,'"_ He grinned and cackled. _"'But they_ also _say that once a notebook has combined with a human host, it can never be removed. Ever.'"_

Ryuuk fell on the bed, cradling his head with big hands. _"'We shinigami don't really know_ why _that is, but I guess it has something to do with it creating a 'bond' with its host. In this case, the bond it made with_ _ **you**_ _.'"_ He looked at Raito from his laid position – Raito staring at him all the while.

He blanched. This… was _permanent_?

DEAR GOD, **NO**.

"What…" He began, gulping. Raito then laughed a little, as if he had just heard the catchiest joke ever. "What do you mean _can never be removed_? And what _bond_? I barely even "knew" it for more than a few hours – "

"' _That's quite a long time, in my opinion.'"_ Ryuuk interjected, ignoring the glare sent to him by the oh-you-did- **not** -just-interrupt-me brunet. _"'Nobody really knows how_ fast _it develops with you. But then, the less-active its host, the faster it can spread throughout the body.'"_

Raito's eyes widened at that. If that's the case, then _he_ –

…he just _made_ the development faster by _sleeping_?

He wanted to smack his forehead, but he didn't. Ryuuk's laugh was starting to bother him, and he was _just_ about to punch the shinigami into oblivion for making his life take such a risky turn.

Ryuuk stared at the ceiling. _"'So, what else do you want to know?'"_

The brunet made a contemplative noise. After a few seconds, he finally spoke:

"What _gifts_ did I receive, exactly?"

Ryuuk copied Raito and made a 'hmm' noise. He cracked his neck – _left, right, left, right_ – as he answered the curious brunet.

"' _Well, basically, since I was the one who imbued the gifts in it, I'd say that most of my powers are given to you… if not with a few conditions.'"_ He said rather vaguely, as if unsure of his own answer. At this, Raito flared.

"What do you mean _a few conditions_? Are you saying that these gifts have _side effects_?"

The answer was brief, yet unbelievably vexing. _"'Yes.'"_

A harrumph. "Such _as_ …?"

"' _Well, let's_ _ **see**_ _…'"_ He raised his hands up in the air and started counting with them. _"'Let's start with your wings; when you use your wings for too long, you'll get tired. Also, the excess weight on your spinal column, not used to the additional weight despite the development, causes it to become a weak point. I'd watch your back, if I were you… kekekeke…_

"' _And then there's your strength; yeah, it makes you buff and tough, but then you can't retract it like you can with your wings. You have it on_ _ **every day**_ _. You wouldn't know when you'll accidentally bend your spoon or crush a doorknob, so watch out. Also, though you have super strength, your bones still have their limit. Try not to carry too much heavy stuff – you might_ accidentally _get crushed. Kekeke… Dunno your own strength, do ya, kid? – and HAH, HAH, you can't hit me with your pillow, Raito!_

"' _And I'll tell ya what other powers ya have – you can turn invisible. Pretty cool, huh? Like… vanish into thin air, that sorta thing! Can help you escape or give you a certain advantage in battle – but_ then _, you can only use it three times a day – like, on, off, on, off, on, off and that's it for the day – and for a certain amount of time. I dunno how long it lasts since I never use it (only you can see me, remember?), so best be careful._

"' _You gain immunity from bullets and cutting weapons. They have no effect on you, unless of course they are aimed at your spine or the inside of your wings – ohh wait, I forgot to tell you that the white part of your wings mean that they're the vulnerable part. Hah, hah – anyways, as long as the_ black _parts of your wings shield you against these weapons, you won't have to worry about a thing._

"' _Not so fast! You've got super speed (_ "WTF? That's not even funny, you half-wit!" _), so good for you! You can finally sleep in and go to school with only five minutes left, and when you get there, there's still four more. Yeah, kid,_ that _fast. But then… running too fast_ can _make you_ trip _… and if you run for more than an hour, you'll tire out. You won't be able to use your wings while you're running, but you can use it to accelerate your flight… just so you know._

"' _You also have Justice Senses (_ "GOD DAMN YOU, RYUUK!" _) – hey, what's wrong? They're that sort-of_ gut feeling _you humans have whenever you feel something bad's about to happen, only_ you _feel it a lot stronger than others. The_ only _bad thing about is that you… become more paranoid than usual. Kinda like what you did earlier before you got into a fight with those bikers. (_ "…" _)_

"' _And your eyes can go zoom to distant places. Yeah, pretty cool, huh? I don't use it much, 'coz it gets kinda boring. And it makes my eyes hurt whenever I use it. Too much use obviously means over-exhausting your eyes. If you don't wanna go blind during a fight, well… don't use it too much._

"' _I'm not really sure about this, but supposedly, you can create copies of yourself._ ("…") _Hey, don't look at me like that! One Yagami Raito is_ enough _. Anyway, I don't remember how you do it, but… you can create copies of yourself – maximum of three. Advantage? You'll be able to fight more people at once. Disadvantage? Your strength will be distributed fairly among each copy. Let's say you make… one copy. That copy will obtain fifty percent of your current strength while you retain the other fifty. Make two, and that'll be thirty-three percent. Three… well, you get it, right? If you're interested to know more, ask me at a later date. I'll probably remember how you do it… I think._

"' _You can phase through walls. But you can only do it whenever I'm around, and only once every three weeks. Don't look at me like that – I dunno why, either. Humans are still humans, I guess. You're not spirits, yet. Be thankful that you can even_ do _it.'"_

Ryuuk sat up, one knee up and the other relaxing on the bed. _"'And this last one isn't really a gift… it's a necessity.'"_ His expression looked a little grave. _"'It's Rejuvenation – the ability to regain all energy lost. But you can only do it if you have any of the three things at your disposal:_

"' _The first one is the moonlight. You're a dark creature now, Raito; you received the powers from a dark creature,_ me _, so basically the notebook turned ya into one, too. The moonlight is the source of energy for creatures in the night – it's sort of like hope is for people in despair; it motivates you to carry on. With this concept in mind, you probably understand what the moon can do for ya, huh, Raito? But funnily enough… you get unbelievably stronger during a New Moon. Don't ask me why – I'm not exactly an expert at this._

"' _The second one is… apples._ _(_ "WTF? APPLES?" _) Yeah, Raito, apples! Red apples! Those round things in the fruit stand we saw this afternoon! I tried one of the apples while you were running away from those bikers (_ "…bastard…" _) and they tasted… Uhh, how do you humans call that?_ Juicy _? Anyways, it's a great way to heal your wounds during the day. Plus, it's very healthy. Ain't that a nice plus?_

"' _And the third is…'"_ There was a pause. He jerked his head to face Raito… and _shrugged_. _"'I have no idea.'"_

The brunet blinked and glared. "You have _no_ idea? Well, how am I supposed to… _rejuvenate_ if I don't have _any_ of the first two?"

The creature shrugged. _"'I already told you that I'm not an expert at this. I just did this for fun – though I_ did _realize that I_ would _have to explain myself to whatever human that managed to pick it up. But I_ do _know that it's food. Maybe it's something you like – something you don't always eat, but like it. I suggest experimenting on different foods. You'll know immediately when that's the one,'"_

Raito digested all the information he received from the black-clad shinigami. Flight, strength, speed… call him _crazy_ – and if you do, Raito will kick your _ass_ – but this all seems _too_ familiar…

…these are superpowers.

…so now he's a super **hero** , isn't he?

' _No, not hero… not yet, anyway,'_ He told to himself. _'I still have to save someone before I can consider myself to be a savior. Until then, I'm just… a super_ human _, I guess.'_

This was insane. Unbelievable. Too _fucking good_ to be true! Here he was, sitting on his bed, thinking about things, musing over the past events while _Powerful-Ryuuk-DNA_ ran through his veins! He flexed his fist, noticing that he had _indeed_ gotten a little… muscular. Not too much for other people to notice, though. Just a subtle change in him that speaks _volumes_ for his ego.

Then there's this innate desire to save the universe from _evil_ and its hoard of killer jackasses by using his Ryuuk-given powers. Earlier, he had gone about saving the world, changing it, and morphing it into an ideal paradise…

…he could do it, right?

Then, he snorted and held his head up high in the air. Of _course_ , he could! What _couldn't_ Yagami Raito do – being a prodigy, pretty boy and _perfect son_? Raito would fight evildoers and spread word about his existence! To show everyone that someone truly _does_ care, and that someone with Ryuuk-given powers can actually use it for _good_ , not _eeeeeeeevil!_

He then started chuckling –

—only to be interrupted by a sudden knock on the door.

" _Raito? You in there, sweetie?"_

He jerked his head towards Ryuuk, and the shinigami simply gave him a look that said, _'I already told you, you can answer it!'_ Raito snorted and walked up towards the door while limping a little.

Damn over-exhaustion. Go dig up a whole and _die_ there.

He unlocked the door and opened a fair gap to acknowledge his mother's presence. He smiled at her.

"What is it, kaa-san?"

The woman held a small basket of apples in her hands. At this, Raito blinked in mild surprise. She smiled sweetly at her son.

"I brought you some apples; they're from our neighbor – "She then tilted her head to look disdainfully at the very dark room – the moon was the only source of light. "Why is it so dark in here? You'll damage your eyes, Raito!" She said sternly, giving him the basket of apples.

"' _Kekeke… that's nothing compared to vision-zoom. Gotta love vision-zoom, kekeke… and oohh, did I hear APPLES?'"_ Cried the excited shinigami. _"'I want some, Raito! I want some!'"_

His gaze just remained on the luscious, red, red apples in the basket. He suddenly felt an intense _hunger_ within him – it struck him as strange. Raito _never_ felt something like _this_ … and for a _fruit_ , no less.

Maybe… he was just hungry?

"–so, you better stop living in the darkness and shed some _light_ onto your life! Is that clear, Raito?"

His head jerked up to look at her. After a few moments, he smiled and nodded in understanding. "Yes, kaa-san. I understand perfectly."

At that, she smiled. "Well, if you want more apples, there's some more downstairs. Don't stay up too late, sweetie! I know you'll do your best at the National Exam in a few days!" She patted his cheek lovingly before retreating downstairs to the kitchen.

He closed the door, locked it and – to his _own_ surprise – started munching on an apple.

 _Bite. Bite. Bite. BITE._ He never ate an apple this fast before – it felt like a need. Like it was the first time he ate in _weeks_. The thought disturbed him but…

…Raito couldn't help but notice that he was slowly regaining the ability to walk properly.

Ryuuk cackled as he went over and reached for an apple with his long arms. _"'Kekeke… all this excitement for an apple, Raito?'"_ Though his eyes gleamed with _want_ as he consumed the apple in seconds.

Raito dexterously threw the apple core in the waste bin a few feet away and rubbed his mouth wet with apple-y liquid. Ryuuk had relieved him of the basket – _"'This looks too heavy for ya; I'll take it, kekekeke…'"_ – and left him alone to his own thoughts. He leisurely went across the room to open the sliding glass. He stepped out on the balcony and leaned on the half-wall.

…so, what now?

"' _Eh? You goin' sentimental now, kid?'"_ Ryuuk swallowed the last chunk of apple in his mouth and hovered next to the musing teenager.

Raito regarded him with acknowledgement so brief; he returned to thinking about the now and the _how_. What _was_ he going to do now? Assume his normal lifestyle as if nothing happened? Or would he actually use his Ryuuk-given powers the way he always _wanted_ to – for good? Would he assume a secret identity like _Batman_ – he's _far_ from rich, but he _is_ intelligent – and walk around the streets of Kanto wearing tight spandex and a cape – oh wait, he already had wings. No capes.

He sighed as he continued to stare up at the moon.

Come what _may_.

 _End of Flashback_

 _No matter how we pursue our differences_

 _It never ends_

 _Why do I have to fight?_

 _Even if the light is extinguished_

 _Even if this earth disintegrates,_

 _I won't ever forget_

 _That tiny wish_

 _It will guide us to our ideal place_

He turned off the TV and leaned against the couch. The almost-college student opened his mouth to let out an air of relief as he _relaxed_ into the soft confines of the couch.

Being a superhero is _so_ cool. He's powerful. He's prevailing. He's _popular_.

Then he frowned when a memory hit him – it was a couple of days ago, when he decided to interfere with a mugging duo's plans. He had saved a guy's life, and the dude had a camera with him. How the guy managed to conjure up the strength to take his picture _and_ get away with it was beyond his knowing. Oh yeah, he was facing away from the camera – when the flash lit and the click sounded, Raito turned to an empty spot.

Unless of course…

…it was a set-up?

He snorted. There goes his _paranoia_ again. He _really_ wanted to kick Ryuuk's ass right now. Back to the shinigami world where he would die due to the lack of tasty apples and abundance of _boring_.

"Onii-chan!" came Sayu's voice. He raised his head and opened a single eye to acknowledge her presence. She suddenly pouted in front of him.

"Where have you been? You weren't _there_ a second ago!"

The caramel-eyed brunet chuckled. "I've _always_ been here, Sayu. Didn't you hear me say ' _tadaima_ ' on the way in?" He pointed at the door, and his little sister's gaze followed it.

She pouted and shook her head. "No, I didn't." Her hands were on her hips now. Ooh, little _Sayu_ trying to intimidate Yagami Raito – AKA _Kira_?

Ryuuk would've been cackling if he were here right now…

Raito shrugged. "You must be deaf or something – even _mom_ heard me."

Sayu's face then morphed into something akin to concern. "Hey, onii-chan…" She began, albeit a little reluctantly.

Raito regarded her with a small 'hmm?'

"…are you OK?" She asked. The brunette played with the hem of her sweater. "You've been coming home late for the past few weeks."

Raito opened both of his eyes and sat up, almost startling Sayu. He looked at his sister intensely before offering a reassuring, happy-big-brother smile.

"I'm fine, Sayu. Exams, projects and school stuff are just getting most of my time nowadays.

You don't have to worry about me." He reassured his little sister. It worked a little, he could tell.

But he sensed that his sister didn't _completely_ believe him.

She settled for a small smile in return. "Well, OK… but you know, I'm here." She offered, smiling widely all of a sudden and flexing her "muscles" – Raito had to stop himself from _laughing_ out loud at that – "If you're in trouble, I could always get you out of it! I'm like _Kira_ , after all!" She said, stars of admiration and idolatry shining in her brown eyes.

Raito _laughed_ then.

It was funny 'coz… _He_ was Kira.

 _There I come for you yeah_

 _Ash Like Snow_

 _Is falling down from your sky_ _Ash Like Snow_ _Let me hear..._

 _Why I have to fight?_

 _Who is Kira?_

Kira.

Kira.

Kira, Kira, Kira, Kira, Kira, Kira, _**Kira**_.

Who the _hell_ is **Kira**?

He brought a thumb to his lips as he paced around the plain, dim-lit room. Only a computer set on the floor decorated the entire area – and the monitor was the _only_ source of light.

He stopped in his tracks – the soles of his feet squeaking against the newly-polished linoleum flooring. He tapped his feet on the ground as he stared at a wall full of pictures.

Pictures of the _spectacular_ , Japanese sensation: Kira.

Who _are_ you, Kira?

He stared intently at all the pictures – though most were blurry and unhelpful – with keen interest and superb concentration. His attention was glued to a decent picture – a picture of the highly-acclaimed superhero facing back against the camera.

He stared at those _wings_.

Im **possible**.

A clearly-audible 'ding!' erupted from the computer's speakers as a gothic W appeared on the screen.

" _L, I have the files you wanted."_

He bit on his thumb and twirled around to sit unusually on the floor. The messy-haired man regarded the screen with a blank stare – obsidian showing absolutely _no_ emotion.

A finger meticulously pressed a button.

"For a moment."

" _All right,"_

The finger let go of the button. L, this strange character, turned his head over his shoulder to glance at the picture on the wall.

"Kira…" He whispered, hugging his knees. "…who _are_ you?"

L's interest is **piqued**.

 _My hopes were alone in the desolate night sky_

 _They soared high until they were crushed_

 _In exchange for glory that triumphs over darkness_

 _I have given up many things I sought to protect_

 _(It's falling from your sky)_

 _This is too futile_

 _(Baby I come for you)_

 _Every time the scattered broken pieces cut me_

 _Deep down in my closed heart_

 _I choose to grow stronger_

 _And I came this far_

AUTHOR'S NOTES: (1) – domino masks are small, rounded masks that cover the eyes and the space between them. They've existed since the 18th century.

 **CHAPTER ENDS**

LINE BREAK

 **CHAPTER 4 – Operation: K.I.R.A.: Kira's Identity Must Be Realized at All Costs!** (…lol)  
(AUTHOR'S NOTES: The song is 'Final Destination' by Within Temptation)

 _I escaped my final moment_

 _But it's turning back at me_

 _On every corner, I turn I can feel it waiting_

A few more months were left till Yagami Raito graduates.

The brunet teenager smiled to himself as he greeted the outside world. Finally, _school was out_. He can finally go home and concentrate on the important stuff: studying, resting…

…crime-fighting.

The smile widened a little – ever since he found that notebook, Raito had been _so much_ happier. He felt a sense of pride and power swelling up inside him as visions of triumph and _ultimate justice_ raced through his head.

It had only been a few weeks since he gained this power, and he's already stopped at _least_ fifty or sixty criminals!

A floating figure beside him patted his back – one for every _'ke'_ as he cackled. _"'Congrats, kid.'"_

Raito found it unfair that Ryuuk can touch _him_ , but Raito can't. It's not like he was worried that the other-worldly creature would turn his back on him and hurt him, but…

It was _quite_ unfair a thought whenever Raito felt like hurting the shinigami.

He inclined his head to the side and spoke in a hushed whisper, "Don't talk to me while we're outside, Ryuuk! Especially at school… unlike _you_ – oh divine shinigami from another _realm_ – I can be _heard_ by other people!"

Ryuuk huffed and clucked his tongue, turning his head away from the brunet's direction. _"'Hmph. You're so boring, Raito.'"_

Raito frowned. It was _soooo_ unfair! How he wanted to hit the over-sized chicken at least _once_. Or twice.

Or beat him to a bloody pulp till he runs out of energy.

Suddenly, a normal-looking brunet waved to get his attention – it was an acquaintance of his.

"Hey, Yagami-kun!" He greeted. The student's gaze followed Raito as he passed by him. "I was wondering if you'd like to hang out – "

"No, I'm sorry." Was the immediate reply. Raito didn't _sound_ sorry, though. "I'm extremely busy; maybe some other time,"

Disappointment etched itself on his peer's face. "O-Ohh… OK, then."

The pretty brunet gave him an apologetic smile – _'Heh, heh, heh…'_ – and waved a small goodbye. He continued walking home – undisturbed and quiet.

That is, until Ryuuk decided to break the welcomed silence. _"'Busy? You're not doing anything special tonight…'"_ Then a thought hit the shinigami like a bus. _"'…unless you're planning on going crime-fighter-dude again?'"_ The black-clad shinigami snickered as he muttered a mocking ' _crime fighter dude'_ under his breath.

Raito frowned. It's _Kira_ _of Justice_! Well, he just added the "-of Justice" for his own amusement. For some reason, Ryuuk regarded his choice of superhero-name as a _hilarity_. OK, so Kira was an unconventional name to label a crime-fighting superhero of _justice_! It was the colloquial version of the English word _killer_ , after all. But of course, he meant _killer_ as in _killer of crime_ , not a _killer_ or murderer in general!

Murder is just _wrong_.

When Raito sensed that there isn't anybody near enough to hear or see him talk, he decided to supply the floating shinigami with a retort. "Yes, _Ryuuk_ , I, in fact, am very _busy_. I'm doing something important tonight… and it'll probably take me quite a long time to finish." At this, Ryuuk's interest was piqued. _"'Oh?'"_ came the skeptical retort. At Raito's nod, he decided to continue. _"'What are you planning to do tonight? Interfere with a heist? Save a damsel in distress? Clean the local river – '"_

Raito frowned at the last one. He meant that one as a _joke_ that time! He wasn't particularly _serious_ about cleaning rivers! He was a _crime-fighter_ – not an environmentalist.

"I'm planning something really _big_ tonight, Ryuuk. I'll tell you when we get home. No, it's not a _heist_. And eww, Ryuuk! Rivers… well, I haven't really considered doing _that_ yet." He answered all the creature's questions. The first question Ryuuk asked wasn't satisfied, but the creature thought he would have to wait until later to know what it was.

But knowing Raito… it usually meant fun for _him_.

 _And just a moment no awareness_

 _I could easily slip away_

 _And then I'll be gone forever_

Ryuuk munched on an apple as he regarded his human companion with interest and curiosity. _"'You planning on going to the United States tonight?'"_ At the teen's silent nod, he cackled quite loudly. The shinigami sat up and threw the apple into his mouth, munching loudly and spreading Ryuuk-saliva-infected-apple-juice – thank God Raito wasn't watching – on the bed sheets.

Fehh. They'll dry up.

Raito was currently busy getting his costu – _superhero uniform_ ready for tonight's biggest mission yet. He grinned widely – his human companion often referred to 'crime fighting' as _missions_ , which made Ryuuk imagine Raito as a secret spy off to steal some vital information for whatever government he was working on.

Heh. That would prove to be _quite_ the story (1)!

The caramel-eyed wonder-boy opened his drawer and pulled out what seemed to be a small kit.

He unlocked the seal and opened the container to obtain a small needle. Ahh, it was a _sewing_ kit. He skillfully cut some black thread and passed it through the needle's small opening. After making a knot at the end of the thread, he started doing consecutive motions of stitching and sewing.

Ryuuk watched, amused. He remembered the first time he found out about his human companion's exemplary skills in sewing –

 _I'm searching_

 _I'm fighting for a way to get through_

 _To turn it away_

 _Flashback_

The shinigami scratched his head as he regarded the teenager curiously. _"'What're we doing at a secluded place, Raito?'"_ He asked, not used to the change of location. They were usually at school, the streets or at the male human's house. Being at an abandoned, almost-haunted-looking house – there isn't even a _roof_! – was new to Ryuuk.

But it's not like he was creeped out, or anything – he has seen _much_ worse than this… and they weren't pretty.

Speaking of _pretty_ , the slender brunet dropped several paper bags on the ground and clapped his hands together to rid them off the dirt and grime accumulated from carrying _paper bags_ – which probably didn't _have_ any. The teenager decided to ignore the shinigami for a while.

Ryuuk didn't appreciate being ignored… especially if it was his favorite human – well, he didn't have anyone else to choose from, did he? – who did the ignoring. That was just _mean_ , even for a shinigami.

He had feelings, too!

He maintained the grinning face, but he was obviously a little annoyed as he said, _"'Hey, Raito! Don't ignore me!'"_ He exclaimed at the teenager's back. Raito bent down a bit and threw all the contents of the first bag on the floor.

…was that cloth? And _chains_? And… ooh, silver stuff! Ryuuk liked silver stuff!

His curiosity got the best of him as he asked, _"'Ooh, what's all that stuff for, Raito?'"_

Raito took out a medium-sized box and placed it beside him as he sat down on the floor. He didn't bother looking at his shinigami companion as he started organizing his stuff. "I'm making a superhero uniform."

…

…

…

…pfft.

The shinigami erupted in fits of loud laughter. He clutching stomach and rolled _in the air_ laughing at his human friend. Raito sported a scowl of pure dislike as he finally faced the pale faced shinigami. He was rolling around, and his wings appeared to be rolling _too_.

Was _everything_ about Ryuuk so goddamn annoying?

Raito harrumphed before he went back to his stuff. He proceeded to empty the contents of the other bag. "Laugh all you _want_ , Ryuuk. But I can't fight crime in my school uniform,"

Ryuuk hovered above him, still snickering. _"'Aww, why not? If you do that, then you'll be known as Schoolboy!'"_ He went back to laughing hysterically. _"'It's better than_ Kira _, anyway!'"_

Raito grinned despite himself. _Schoolboy_? That was the first joke – more like _insult_ – Ryuuk made about him that managed to amuse him. He decided not to let the creature know though as he resumed fixing his stuff.

"Say what you want," Raito began after a few moments of silence – minus the shinigami's incessant snickering. "But I'm still going to make my cos – _superhero outfit_." Damn. He was _not_ calling it a costume! Absolutely _not_! Costume… costume sounds so _girly_. Superhero outfit was a manlier euphemism.

Ryuuk chuckled as he sat down, cross-seated beside his favorite human. He leaned to look over

Raito's shoulder to ask, _"'So how're ya gonna make it?'"_

Raito pulled out a clean sheet of paper and presented it to the shinigami, who let out a nice _'ooh'_ and whistle. The brunet scowled. "That's the basic design. I can go crazy with the logo and stuff…"

Truth be told, Ryuuk was amazed. He took the paper from Raito and examined it closely. The shinigami whistled again in amazement. _"'This is pretty cool, Raito! It looks like mine… but yeah.'"_ He snickered. _"'You planning on making it all-black, right? No use in fighting crime with vibrant colors like Superman or something.'"_

He smirked. "I'm more of a _Batman_ fan, Ryuuk. And I'll probably be more active at night, anyways. No guarantees, though." He said before getting a pair of scissors and testing them _just 'coz_. "I also designed it in a way that best works for my strengths; I'm going to attach a hard, but light metal material over the back part of the costume." He paused as he clutched his chin in observation. "You know, to protect my spine."

Ryuuk whistled again. _"'You really_ thought _about this, didn't you? And it hasn't been a few days since ya first used your powers.'"_ He snickered. _"'You really are an ambitious brat…'"_

"I pursue excellence, Ryuuk." Snip, snip, _snip_. "I wouldn't settle for anything _less_."

"' _But I do wonder, though,'"_ Ryuuk began after a moment of silence. _"'Why you're so hell-bent on being a superhero. I mean, you can always do it in_ secret _or something. Like… once a week or something.'"_ "Hell-bent? I'm not that gung-ho about it, am I?" But looking at the shinigami's face, Raito thought the answer was obvious. "Well, I thought about that as well… but it's more convenient if I assume the role of an _official_ superhero. If I only operate _whenever_ or when I happen to be near a crime scene – and in _normal_ clothes, people will find out my identity, stalk me; and eventually, I would be forced to assume the role of crime-fighter." He scowled as he made a wrong move – damn scissors. "It would be pointless to waste so much time if _that's_ the supposed outcome."

"' _But seriously… you're the first human who really_ thought _about it. Some have figured it out before, but…'"_ He looked at a different direction. _"'They either ended up using it for fun, or just accepted it as a secret part of themselves.'"_

"Well, they're wasting their talents." Raito huffed. Where was that measuring tape…? "If they only use it for evil deeds, they're just adding injustice to this disappointing, cruel world. If they refuse to use it at _all_ , well… that's their problem. Angst their lives away, for all I care!

"But _me_? I'm going to _make_ a difference, Ryuuk. Just you wait and see! I know it may seem cheesy or lame, but I can assure you," He grinned when he took out a rolled material from the sewing kit. _Hah, found it_. "It'll be _fun_."

Ryuuk stared at his human companion with what seemed to be interest and admiration.

Humans are _such_ fun creatures.

But he wouldn't trade Raito for anyone else.

 _End of Flashback_

 _It's waiting, always trying_

 _I feel the hands of fate_

 _They're suffocating_

Ryuuk assumed what he liked to call _his sexy pose_ – Raito had almost choked in front of his family when he first said that. Glad to be of help, Raito! – as he continued to observe his very interesting human friend. The teenager muttered a 'ok, it's done', and Ryuuk took it as the moment to finally ask:

He sat up and go straight to the point. _"'So why are we going to America, Raito? Gonna fight crime there or something?'"_

"Something like that," He said. He then tapped on the TV. "There's a criminal on the loose somewhere in New York. I also want to test how far I can fly while using acceleration." There was a smirk on his face – he was obviously excited to try out a new power. If Ryuuk had his enthusiasm, he _would_ be too.

But he didn't. Oh, well.

Ryuuk made a 'hmm' of understanding. _"'Ohh, I see. This isn't just some mission to fight crime, then. It's also a test run or something?'"_

"Exactly. This is the best moment to try that combo out," The brunet almost chuckled as he muttered a low 'combo'. It was like playing that DC vs. Marvel game at the arcade. Using combos and techniques to efficiently defeat opponents…

…Raito distantly wondered if Kira was going to become a game character soon. It wasn't really a _hope_ , but it would be cool.

"' _Be careful, though. If you get too tired, your wings will get smaller until they fully retract inside your back to recover. If that happens while you're over the ocean, well…'"_ Ryuuk trailed off, assuming that Raito knew what would happen next.

Raito snorted. "I'll be fine, Ryuuk. I'll take the closer route to the US. By estimation and imagination – yes, Ryuuk, imagination – it would be a one or two-hour journey. There's also a probable three."

"' _Three hours to get to the US, eh? That seems feasible.'"_ Ryuuk recalled two days ago, when Raito tried to fly from Kagoshima to Hokkaido – took him only three and a half hours in normal flight. Accelerate _that_ with super speed, and Raito will probably reach Hokkaido in thirty minutes.

Yeah, that fast.

"' _Considering this is America and all, and knowing that there is a distinct time difference…'"_ Ryuuk began. _"'What would you do if people see you? You don't exactly resemble a species of bird, Raito.'"_

"I can use invisibility during flight. When I'm within the country's vicinity, I can always activate it then." Raito leaned back against the support offered by the swivel chair and faced Ryuuk with a small smile. "I won't be seen, then."

"' _There is such a thing as that… that foreign-flying-object sensing thing those advanced military people have, though. Radar, is it?'"_

"From what I know, it can only detect electronically-operated machines. I'm obviously not mechanical," He crossed his arms on his chest. "Besides, even if they _do_ detect me, well…"

He smiled as he looked outside to admire the setting sun. "That'll just make it all the more interesting."

Before Ryuuk could ask anything else, there was a loud knock on the door.

" _Onii-chaaaan! Can you help me with my homework?! PLEASE?"_

' _Sayu!'_ His eyes suddenly widened. He held the superhero outfit in his hands. He looked around and quickly threw it in his closet, almost slipping due to the hastiness. "… _onii-chan? Are you OK? What're you doing in there?"_ Sayu then gasped behind the door. _"Eww, don't tell me you're – "_

"I'm not, Sayu!" His cheeks suddenly burned up. Really, how crude! He kicked a sock away – he glared at it with all his might; damn thing tried to _kill_ him! – and approached the door. He unlocked it and there was Sayu –

…well, her notebook anyway.

"I'm sorry for intruding! I'm probably disturbing you from your studies…" She said, but she didn't sound the least bit sorry. The brunette playfully stuck her tongue at him and welcomed herself inside her older brother's room.

Raito rolled his eyes as he closed the door. "Yeah, I bet you are. What's the problem?"

" _Math_ problems, big brother! Quadratic equations! It's all nonsense to me, really." She shrugged her shoulders and raised her arms. "Gobbledy-gook! Blah! You get it." The pink sweater wearing teenager sat on the swivel chair and spun around once, exclaiming a loud 'weee!' as she did so. Raito rolled her eyes at her immaturity.

"All right, all right. Don't get your panties in a bunch – **no**! I'm _not_ a pervert, Sayu! – just tell me what the heck's wrong with you." Raito meant it as a friendly big-brother joke as his form loomed over his sister's sheepish figure.

She scratched her head and stuck out her tongue at him. "Eh, heh, heh, heh… I guess everything."

 _Oi._

 _Tell me what's the reason?_

 _Is it all inside my head?_

 _Can't take it no more_

ICPO

International Criminal Police Investigation (Interpol)

Somewhere Foreign; a week after Raito's mission to the US

" _This is quite the situation, people."_

The ICPO headquarters was dark… obviously. The only source of light was the screen showing off the organization's logo.

" _This… this has never happened before. The idea that such a… a_ thing _could exist is inconceivable! Impossible! But… it's happened. They_ actually _exist."_

Rows of ascending tables were filled with leading officers from different countries. Most of them were listening as the blond official in front spoke – all were thinking the same thing, really. Really, who would've _thought_ …?

" _Criminals from all over the world are being put to justice by a mysterious, winged figure. One by_ _ **one**_ _. And to top it all off, they happen so spontaneously. This is a serious concern – we should all take this situation seriously."_

But Matsuda Touta's thoughts were focused on something _else_ as he looked around. Where was chief Yagami…?

" _So then, a conservative estimate would be over 100 American criminals since the last month?"_ Everyone started conversing among themselves, obviously perturbed and anxious.

Matsuda looked to his side as a familiar figure stepped beside him and sat down. "Oh, chief! They've already started," He said in a hushed voice as to not add to much noise to the already lively room.

The moustache-faced man nodded as he acknowledged the fact. "Yeah. I had a call from headquarters," he explained. When he was about to expound, their attention was brought back to the meeting.

The gray-haired old man seemed calm about this 'serious' situation, though as he spoke, _"What's the concern? Shouldn't we be thankful that someone's_ actually _doing something about all this? If you haven't noticed, the crime rate's gone down quite considerably."_

" _But most of these criminals haven't even been reported to the public yet! There's obviously some sort of shady intent behind all this!"_

He shrugged and raised his arms. _"But we haven't really confirmed that, haven't we? It's like in the comic books – man acquires god-like powers, uses them for good, fights evil, etc.…"_

" _Aren't you at_ least _threatened that this person – if this creature really_ is _a human being – managed to conquer over a hundred criminals in the US_ alone _without leaving much of a clue as to WHERE he is or WHY he's doing this?"_

" _It doesn't really matter to me."_ The man supplied. _"What's important is that the world is becoming safer. I hardly doubt that there's an evil intent behind this. Besides, who cares where he is? He's_ here _– saving the day and fighting crime!"_

The man slammed his fist down the table. _"Stop being so naïve! That kind of human thinking only exists in media and entertainment! This is_ reality _– why can't you realize that?"_

" _We're convinced that this Kira is merely a gifted, concerned individual who wants to purify this rotten world…"_

" _But I'm rather skeptical about this 'gifts' he has. He's probably just a mechanical robot developed by a group of supreme intelligence. I can't help but think that the CIA or FBI is responsible for this…"_

" _I dare you to say that again!"_

A chubby, well-dressed man suddenly stood up, holding his hands in the air in an attempt to prevent an upcoming conflict. _"Hey, hey, please refrain from saying such things!"_ He said. _"All we need to do first is determine whether this masked vigilante has good intentions or not!"_

" _But according to reports in Japan… he saved a lot of victims and maintained peace and order, didn't he?"_

" _But then he_ could _be doing it to achieve the public's general approval of him. Then, he could suddenly turn his back on the world and wreak havoc!"_

" _Now that's just cliché!"_

" _You can't deny the possibility!"_

The speaker in front spoke, _"In cases like this, all we could do now is rely on L!"_

Silence boomed. Some were dealing with mild surprise, while others privately discussed their opinions with other officials and chiefs.

The ebony-haired rookie blinked at the sudden silence. Then he leaned to ask his superior a question, "Uhh, chief… what do they mean by _L_?" He asked in a hushed tone.

Chief Yagami regarded his companion with acknowledgement. "Ahh, yes… this is your first time here, isn't it?

"Well, nobody knows who he is; his name, his whereabouts… even his face. But then, he's a remarkable detective who can solve any case he takes no matter _how_ difficult or challenging.

He's also solved countless cases worldwide, making him the ace of our trade, our _trump_ card… something like that."

The audience of officials was perturbed by this. _"But doesn't L only accept cases that_ interest _him?"_

" _Yeah!"_

" _That's right!"_

" _And even if this case_ does _interest him, how will be able to contact him?"_

" _ **L is already moving as we speak,"**_

The officials were taken aback by the sudden voice – "Eh?" they all said in unison – and realized that a black-clad, trench coat-wearing man was walking in front to the center of the stage.

The black figure positioned himself in the center. _"L has already begun investigating this individual known as Kira."_

"Oh, it's Watari!" Proclaimed chief Yagami silently. Only Matsuda heard him.

"W…Watari?"

Chief Yagami nodded. "Yeah. He's the sole person capable of contacting L, though his identity remains a secret as well." Matsuda just blinked. OK, what's with all the secret identities…? Is everyone a superhero now?

" _Silence please,"_ his voice pierced through their skulls. _"L will now speak."_

The rookie blinked in wonder. L? Speak? Where?

The cloaked man lifted a small laptop – at this, Matsuda sported an "OHH" on his lips - and opened it. Everyone as silent as a gothic-style L appeared on the huge screen.

" _Everyone in the ICPO,"_ came the gargled, mechanical voice. _"…I am L."_

 _All around me I see danger_

 _And it's closing in on me_

 _Every second I can hear it_

Japan

Raito sneezed and sneezed and _sneezed_. Shit, was he coming down with something? He hoped not… but then he could've caught some sort of disease when he went to the US.

…HE HOPED NOT.

' _Dammit, I don't wanna die of a foreign disease!'_ He thought as paranoia hit him like a swarm of biker bumblebees. _'I wanna die of something heroic! Noble! Like sacrifice… wait, no, not sacrifice… maybe saving people from a crumbling building after using all my energy! Or offering my life to save a loved one – kaa-san, tou-san, Sayu – but_ please _! NOT A COLD! I REFUSE TO DIE OF COLDS!'_

"NEVEEEEEEERR!" He started bouncing on his bed, unaware of the entertainment he was giving Ryuuk… and how badly the shinigami's stomach was hurting.

Being with Raito is so much **fun**!

 _Breathing_

 _I can't stand the fear inside of me_ _'Cause it's leading me astray_

 _And it will be my ending_

ICPO

" _I have to admit… this is going to be a difficult case to solve."_ Began L's voice. _"It's a case we must investigate in order to confirm this masked vigilante's intentions!_

" _To solve this case, I would like the complete cooperation of the ICPO at this meeting… wait… No. Of all the investigative agencies of the_ _ **world**_ _! Especially the Japanese police."_

Hearing their organization being mentioned, chief Yagami and Matsuda Touta stood up, both surprised and slightly appalled.

" _Err… why Japan?"_ asked chief Yagami in English.

" _Whether or not this… person has good or evil intentions, the likelihood that he is a Japanese citizen is extremely high. If not Japanese, then at least he's currently stationed there."_

Chief Yagami blinked in understanding. Truth be told, he didn't totally _deny_ the possibility of the highly-acclaimed crime-fighter to be Japanese or a man _in_ Japan. Actually, he would even be proud if he _was_ Japanese! To think, the man whose sense of _Justice_ is expressed through killer moves and stylish flying _could_ be Japanese!

He wished his _son_ was here to hear this!

But to maintain a critical and sharp façade, chief Yagami had to ask: _"What grounds do you have for concluding this?"_

" _Why Japan…? Well, I believe I can prove it to you if you cooperate with a plan I've come up with."_

He narrowed his eyes in slight suspicion. _'Plan…?'_

" _At any rate, I would like to locate the headquarters for the manhunt in Japan."_

His eyes narrowed completely. Why was he getting nervous?

 _I'm searching_

 _I'm finding for a way to get through_

 _To turn it away_

Japan

 _Sneeze, sneeze, sneeze,_ _ **sneeeeeeeeze**_ _!_

"Holy crap," Raito sniffled. He lay in bed, a wet cloth over his forehead. "I think I'm coming _down_ with something!" He said in woe.

Ryuuk sat on the edge of the bed and studied him. _"'You don't have a fever, Raito. It's probably just some allergy.'"_ He then cackled. _"'Maybe you're allergic to the material you used to make your cos – "_

"FIRST OFF, IT'S _NOT_ A COSTUME!" Raito sat up, fire burning in his chocolate eyes. "AND SECOND, DON'T YOU DARE MENTION THE POSSIBILITY EVER AGAIN! I WORKED

HARD SEWING THAT COSTUME, YOU DISFIGURED LOSER! FIGURES! YOU DON'T APPRECIATE THE EFFORT I TOOK IN MAKING IT… BLAHBLAHBLAH…" Raito rambled on and on and _on_ about how appalled he was and how Ryuuk was such a jerk.

Ryuuk briefly thought if the notebook somehow managed to give Raito episodes of PMS.

 _It's waiting, always trying_ _I feel the hands of fate_

 _They're suffocating._

A few days later…

Ryuuk was happy that Raito's sneezes were just… sneezes. He was _happier_ when the brunet started going all gung-ho about how _delirium_ forced him to act the way he did, and that he didn't have a choice in the matter.

It didn't stop him from laughing his shinigami ass off, though.

Raito sat behind his desk and aimed a glare-of-doom at the still-laughing shinigami. Geez, it's been a few _days_ since the joke started. He was still _laughing_? Raito seriously wanted to punch him – let's see him laugh when he's in pain!

Hah, hah, laughing in pain. That almost made Raito laugh.

He was currently finishing his homework – he didn't have time to finish it earlier when he arrived because he had switched into Kira mode. He just arrived a few minutes ago, actually.

And his mom and Sayu never even knew he _left_.

' _Thank God for wings,'_ he muttered in his head. _'And super speed, and invisibility and stealth.'_ He put the pen back into the small cup – recycling is your friend – where he usually placed his pens. He stretched and leaned back, satisfied that he was successful in finishing his homework.

"Well, that's it for today… time to do a little research." He turned on the computer and patiently waited for it to load. While waiting, he turned the TV on and changed the channel to the news.

Ryuuk, munching on an apple again – what? Raito spoiled him like _crazy_! – stared at Raito's side. He cocked his head to the side as he finished his fruit. _"'You're really ambitious about this, you know that?'"_

"Aren't I always?" He smirked at Ryuuk and then his eyes widened with glee. He gestured for

Ryuuk to approach him. "Hey, Ryuuk! Take a look at _this_!"

The shinigami hovered above him and tilted his head. _"'Hmm? What's this – ooohh…'"_

It was a website for Kira.

Messages from several people flooded in. Messages like "Go Kira!", "Kill _crime_ , Kira!" and "I WANT YOUR BABIES! (heart, heart)" flooded the website. The duo raised their eyebrows at the last message, but said nothing.

It was better to keep quiet about it.

Ryuuk spoke first. _"'Heh, heh. You're really famous now, aren't ya? They seem to like you, these humans…'"_ He observed, eyeing the screen with those big eyes.

The brunet flipped his hair – commence hair-flip-super-slow-motion-time! – and raised his nose up in the air, a proud gesture. "Why, of course! Why wouldn't they? People all over the world know of my existence! See," He pointed at a heart logo with wings. "This almost resembles the logo on _my_ cos – _outfit_ , but instead of a heart, I used a skull."

"' _Skulls are classier if you ask me.'"_ The shinigami-man puffed.

"I agree," He said, clicking a few links. "I'm surprised they sometimes call me _savior_ , though. Well, though I may be passing righteous judgment on evil-doers, I'm _still_ far-off from savior. I'm not the Messiah or something." Ryuuk snickered. _"'Ya don't have to be Jesus to be the Messiah, Raito. Besides, it's just a name._

 _They weren't referring to anything biblical like the Apocalypse when they said that the "savior is coming!", after all. Don't flatter yerself!'"_ He cackled, the 'kekeke' leaking from his mouth.

Raito scowled disdainfully; that's not _all_ that's leaking from his mouth. Talk about _ewww_. "Well, whatever, Ryuuk. But I'm doing this for a noble cause – and look at what God gave me as a reward," He referred to the still-flooding message boards. "Fans. Supporters. People who _appreciate_ my hard work!"

Suddenly, the TV went blue and a message appeared. The sudden lack of noise caught Raito's attention, and he was mildly surprised by the blue screen.

' _Hmm…? What's this?_ ' he leaned it and read it out loud: " _Apologies… We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring you this special report._ "

A man in a suit appeared on the TV. _"—we apologize for interrupting our normal programming. There is a situation going on at an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town. We believe that people are being held hostage there, and that the kidnappers are threatening to kill the victims unless a ten-million ransom is given at the scene. Police are on their way, but since the location is unknown, it may take a while for them to get there."_ Without realizing it, Raito reached for his mask.

 _Tell me what's the reason?_

 _Is it all inside my head?_

 _Can't take it no more_

Somewhere in the outskirts of town…

Truth be told, there _was_ an old warehouse there. It was quite big, but not enough to attract attention. Speaking of _attention_ …

…why the hell was it so quiet?

Ryuuk landed on top of a tree near the warehouse's roof. Raito was currently invisible, so he couldn't ask him the details of the situation. Although he could _still_ sense the teenager, he was too lazy to approach him. He looked around, and suddenly he settled his gaze on the warehouse itself.

…there's something _weird_ about that building.

Inside the shed, there was silence. Random stuff like ruined furniture, desks and chairs were randomly placed in the warehouse. There was also some sort of faucet thing attached to a hose.

Raito randomly thought if it would work or not.

There was a small _thump_ when he landed on the support beam that kept the roof in place. He was still invisible – you know, for _safety_. But something was _wrong_. His stomach was hurting with the Justice Senses going crazy.

Where the hell were the kidnappers?

' _Am I at the wrong warehouse?'_ He thought as he deactivated the invisibility. He spread his wings and descended carefully on the ground. The brunet's eyes narrowed as he looked around suspiciously. It was quiet.

Too quiet.

He didn't retract his wings as he was _still_ in a suspicious zone. He opted to keep them raised like that, just in case the bad guys start doing funny stuff like yelling: "SURPRISE!" Hah. Like he would be surpri –

He stopped in his tracks when he was hit by a spotlight.

Raito recoiled, surprised. He used his wings to cover his front body; then they bent on their joints to cover a portion of his back. His boots clicked as he backed away, but he was once again taken aback when another spotlight came to life – this time, exposing his back.

He heard doors opening and footsteps rushing in the room. He heard orders being barked – _police?!_ – and men with guns getting ready.

But when they saw him, they all stopped.

 _Impossible_.

There was a moment of silence. The new-arrivals stared at him like he was some freak. Raito scowled, well… he did look _freaky_ , but he wasn't a freak! His leg twitched and backed away a bit. Dammit! This was just a trap!

" _I can't believe it."_

He was taken by surprise by a mechanical, gargled voice. Raito looked around and tried to determine who said that. By looking around, he found out that these men – he assumed they were police or something – were pointing guns at him.

Crap.

" _I… really can't believe it!"_

His attention was then caught by another spotlight coming to life, but this time, it was on a… laptop on a table?

' _What the heck?!'_ He gritted his teeth. What the fuck was going on?!

The screen on the laptop showcased a gothic letter L. Raito could feel utter hatred oozing out of his body, his _soul_ as he stared at the hateful device that, Raito thought, was responsible for this fiasco!

" _Kira… you actually exist!"_

 _But no one faced what's coming my way_

 _And I will let my fear fade away_

 _Whatever may be, I'll have to find out_

 _It's waiting, always trying_

 _I feel the hands of fate_

 _They're suffocating_

 _Tell me what's the reason?_

 _Is it all inside my head?_

 _Can't take it no more_

 **CHAPTER ENDS**

LINE BREAK

 **CHAPTER 5 – I'LL FIND YOU KIRA**

(AUTHOR'S NOTES: The song for this chapter is 'Destroyed' by Within Temptation)

 _I did my best to please you_

 _But my best was never good enough_

L stared at the screen in _absolute shock_.

' _Im… impossible…'_

It's… it's _Kira_!

Wide obsidian eyes centered on the screen showcasing the ethereal creature known as _Kira_. He was _there_ – RIGHT THERE. There in his black-and-white-winged, tight-black-spandex-clothed glory!

He _can't_ believe it!

Without much of a thought, he muttered into the mike, "I can't _believe_ it…" He said in Japanese. Black locks swayed as he shook his head, a trickle of sweat running down his face.

"I… really can't believe it!" But he was _there_.

Standing.

 _There_.

The creature that caught a criminal before he did.

The creature that won the hearts of many, becoming the symbol for peace and salvation.

The creature that… that…

" _Kira_ …" He breathed into the mike, mixed emotions racing within his chest.

…that made his blood _boil_.

"— _you actually exist!_ "

 _Somehow, you're only able to see_

 _All I am not_

Chief Yagami and his team of investigators stared at the screen – shocked, disturbed…

… _amazed_.

Matsuda Touta blinked in surprise for a few seconds before erupting into a huge, excited smile.

His shoulders started convulsing as he started laughing nervously. "H-He… He really exists!"

After his very _notable_ observation, the investigators started talking among themselves, either talking about how impossible it was for a winged-person-in-tight-spandex to exist or how incredibly _lucky_ Japan was to have their very own superhero!

As chief Yagami stared, he couldn't help but feel a pang of nervousness hit his stomach.

…who _is_ he?

He was too shocked to notice the sudden bursting of doors on the screen – the Japanese media has _arrived_.

 _Did you ever look behind?_

 _Aren't you afraid of the pieces you'll find_

"Kira! Kira! Where is – "A random reporter burst through the doors with a small crew of cameramen. He held his microphone as he looked around the area. But when he looked in front, he gasped in surprise. He then grinned widely as he faced the camera.

" _Citizens! Kira – K-Kira is real! KIRA IS REAL!"_

"YOU! GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! IT'S DANGEROUS!"

The big screen located in the center of the city displayed the situation at the warehouse. The camera was moving around violently as police tried to push them out. But the cameraman managed to maintain the focus on the ethereal man in superhero-outfit.

The crowd went _wild_.

"Whoo-hoo! KIRA EXISTS!"

"KIRA'S IN JAPAN!"

"Wow, he really exists…"

"HE'S HAWT!"

 _I have failed you_

Raito cursed under his breath. Goddamn _police_! The nerve of them, tricking him like this!

' _No,'_ He thought to himself as he tried to think of a way to escape. He's _surrounded_ by police! _'It's probably my fault – I sprang into action without thinking. No wonder the details were a little vague,'_ Details? More like the lack-of.

Raito concentrated solely on the laptop _conveniently_ placed a few feet away from him. He made a 'tch' noise and moved a little to the left. Suddenly, he heard _click_ noises – the police raised their guns at him.

"Don't move!"

"Or we'll _shoot_!"

He clucked his tongue – tsk! – and glared at the laptop. Hi Justice Senses were practically _telling_ him that the laptop – or rather, the person _behind_ it (not literally, though) – was the one _responsible_ for this whole mess!

 _Hate vibes. Hate vibes. Hate vibes. Hate vibes. Hate vibes. Hate vibes. Hate vibes…_ Oh, how he wanted to _crumple_ that laptop like a piece of paper – and _eat_ it.

…OK?

" _This… there's no mistaking it. Kira, you really_ are _a winged vigilante of justice!"_ Raito would have considered that as a compliment, but the term 'vigilante' made him scowl. Hello? Just because he decided to clean the world up all by himself doesn't mean he was a _vigilante_ … right?

As if he read his thoughts, the "laptop" said: _"Yes, Kira. You_ are _a vigilante. You scour the streets and enforce your own form of justice. While the occurring of vigilantes is a_ perfectly _normal frequency,"_ The voice paused for effect. _"The occurring of_ winged _vigilantes was deemed inconceivable… until now…"_ The voice – this _L_ , Raito presumed – went on, obviously referring to Raito. That made him seethe; what? So, he has wings! That doesn't make him a freaky vigilante!

' _Wait a minute,'_ He blinked, all traces of rage present prior _gone_. _'L… L?! You can't mean the highly-acclaimed greatest detective in the world?!'_ Raito would be _sooo_ dancing in joy right now if it weren't for the fact that he was going to _die_ if he did. L! **L**! This… This _laptop person_ in front of him could _be_ one of the greatest detectives in the world! Sweet!

The brunet superhero was too busy debating whether to ask for his _autograph_ or not that he was taken aback when he heard the rest of L's declaration –

" _Kira – you're under_ arrest _."_

…

…

…what the **fuck**?

He stood up straight – guns _raised_ – and raised his arms angrily in the air. "What the hell?!" He exclaimed. This obviously took everyone aback – their eyes wide or blinking. But the NPA still held their stance, ready to shoot the winged masked hero if ever the need arises.

"Why the fuck am I under arrest?!"

 _But you have failed me too_

Back at the NPA, the investigators were still discussing among themselves –

"What should we do?"

"We can't just let him do whatever he wants!"

"But Kira's obviously a very kind-hearted person! He saves lives, protects the weak… what's so bad about that?"

Chief Yagami ignored the argument taking place behind him and concentrated on the live video feed provided by the hidden camera in the warehouse. The aging man brought a hand to his chin and just _stared_ – why was he getting so _nervous_? Was he afraid? No, that can't be… was he actually _amazed_ that there was an _actual_ superhero doing their job _for_ them – well, _helping out_ to ensure the safety of civilians?

Soichirou didn't know _what_ to think.

"It could be just a ruse to obtain the mass's approval. He could be planning something diabolical for all we know!"

"That's so generic! That only happens in those comic books!"

Comic books… wasn't his lovely daughter, _Sayu_ , addicted to those things? He remembers seeing a pile of comic books lying around the living room one day. Superhero comics. Sayu reads _superhero_ comics.

…who the hell is _Super-Duper-Ultraman?_

"And winged superheroes only appear in comic books! And look at that – a superhero with huge wings! And guess what – this **isn't** a comic book!"

"So how would we know if his intentions are good or not?"

" _Kira – you're under_ arrest _."_

" _What the hell?!"_

Chief Yagami – for reasons unknown to _him_ – suddenly gasped and _paled_.

 _It's so easy to destroy_

 _And condemn_

 _The ones you do not understand_

 _Do you ever wonder if it's justified?_

" _Why the_ _ **fuck**_ _am I under arrest?"_

The superhero's reaction mildly surprised L – nothing _totally_ surprises _him_ , after all. L watched with a hint of amusement as the superhero began throwing his arms angrily in the air, unaware that police around him were at conflict whether to shoot him or not.

L was _amused_ , but still – he had a job to do.

And that was to capture and _interrogate_ the superhero known as Kira.

"Kira, you should know," He began, breathing into the microphone. "That interfering with government acts and police movement is _against the law_. Continuously enforcing your own form of justice in a rather _violent_ manner is unacceptable. You're ignoring police authority, Kira. _That_ is unacceptable."

L sported a bitter scowl as memories began to replay in his head – a few weeks ago, he was currently solving a case regarding Lind L. Tailor, a criminal whose prosecution would be around this hour. The ICPO congratulated L for capturing the infamous _top-secret_ criminal.

But L _was not the_ one who caught him. It was _Kira_. L received glory which was not supposed to be his, obtained a 'congrats' that was supposed to be for this… this… _this_!

He bit on his thumb as he tried to contain his bitterness – Kira _caught_ a criminal he was chasing after _way_ before he did! Police arrived at the scene, shocked to find an upside-down Lind L. Tailor, clutching his head and muttering, ' _Kira, Kira, Kira, Kira_!' over and _over_ again. The words were absorbed by the brilliant detective's mind like a sponge as he realized what had happened.

Kira. Caught him. **First**.

 _Before L_.

 _That_ … was unacceptable.

 _It's so easy to destroy_

 _And condemn_

 _The ones you do not understand_

 _In your life, why didn't you ever try_

Raito clenched his fists, unable to hide his _sheer anger_ any longer.

He _can't_ believe this!

Kira _got out of his way_ to use his powers for good! For truth! For peace! For **justice**! He even made a _fucking_ cos – _super-fucking-hero outfit_ for justice's sake! COMPLETE WITH _CHAINS_. CHAINS! Have you _ever_ seen a superhero put sooo much effort on a _mere_ costume?! What more his effort to _save people_? Preserve _lives_? And what does he _get_? A loony, loony bad **man** placing him under _arrest_ for being a _crime fighter_! Boy, that's a **laugh**!

If this was a _gag show_ , he was SERIOUSLY GOING TO KICK SOME _POLICE ASS_.

The mysterious individual decided to continue his declaration of _why-Kira-has-to-be-arrestedness_. _"But, seeing as you're using your… your_ mysteriously-acquired _gifts for the greater good, your arrest will merely be_ temporary _."_

Raito stopped seething and stared at the laptop. Temporary? Why temporary…?

He straightened his figure and maintained a _collected, cool_ composure. Police were surprised – Kira had the ability to _calm down_ , after all! After a few moments of analytical silence, Kira decided to speak –

"What do you _mean_ **temporary** …?" He left the last part hanging, unsure what to call this anonymous jackass.

" _First off, I am_ _ **L**_ _."_ Aha! Raito was right! His idol was _talking to him_! Too bad he was a complete, utter _jerk_ , though. _"And second… yes, temporary. Do you_ know _what temporary_ is _, Kira? It means impermanent, transitory – not lasting for a long duration of time – "_

"I fucking _know_ what the hell 'temporary' means, you ass!" He shouted, quite _outraged_ that this L was toying with him. "I meant _why_!" Geez! Did he need to _spell it out_ for him? He guessed L wasn't as _brilliant_ as people thought…

The mechanical voice decided to reply, _"Kira, you are aware that humans do not_ normally _possess wings, correct?"_ Raito just _glared_ through his domino mask. The voice continued, _"You are… a fascinating subject, Kira. A specimen. A_ discovery _. Your existence contradicts the very foundations of reason and logic, and of what we_ thought _we knew."_

Raito didn't _like_ where this was going. _'Don't tell me that they're putting me under_ arrest _because…?'_

"— _rather an arrest, think of it as a temporary duration of_ observation _and_ interrogation _. Our scientists will observe you, come up with theories as to_ how _you managed to become who you_ are _, and our inspectors will interrogate you, determine whether you are a friend… or a foe."_

Raito couldn't have been _more insulted_.

…a _subject_ , you say?

His fists clenched, his teeth gritted, his eyebrows _furrowed_ – a glare passed through those white eyeholes, directing **hatred** and **disgust** at the white machine on the table. They… they view him as a _mere specimen_?! A discovery?! An unnatural occurrence in this rotten world? It _angered_ him, _insulted_ him…

…hurt him.

Here he was – a few _excruciating_ feet away from the laptop that served as a portal to his and _L's_ communication. L – his _idol_. The "superhero" before him! L was _practically_ his _inspiration_! His views on justice earned him Raito's _respect_ – something he doesn't _normally_ give away to _anyone_!

That respect just turned into _sheer disgust_.

" _Kira, we expect you to come_ quietly _."_

The world… was so **rotten**.

L wasn't an exception.

 _I close my eyes as I walk the thin line_

 _Between love and hate_

Matsuda Touta stared at the screen in shock – a lot of people have been doing it lately, so, why can't he? – as he listened to _everything_ L told the black-clad superhero.

How can _anyone_ be so _cruel_?

'… _unfair.'_ He managed to say to himself. _'That's… so unfair!'_ His eyebrows were furrowed as he thought this. His fist clenched – then, he slammed it on the desk. He earned a couple of looks because he broke the silence.

"That's _unfair_!" He exclaimed. "That's just _unfair_ , L-san!" He knew L couldn't hear him, couldn't even _see_ him, but… He _so_ wanted to say it to him right now!

"Matsuda!" Chief Yagami faced him and reprimanded him. That outburst could cost him his job! This was _L_ , after all! What if he was listening to _their_ conversations as well? "Matsuda, bite your tongue! You don't know if – "

"But _chief_!" He interjected, looking at Soichirou with wide, indignant eyes. "What L-san is doing is _not fair_ , not _human_! Kira's trying to _protect_ the world, not destroy it! Even if… even if he looks like _that_ ," He faced the screen that displayed Kira's shaking – from anger, he supposed – figure. "Kira's _still_ a person! He has _dignity_! Turning him into a _lab experiment_ is just too cruel!" Chief Yagami couldn't say anything to _that_. Matsuda… had a point. Soichirou was _disturbed_ by the superhero's existence, but he knew for a fact that he was just like one of them, albeit a little _anatomically-altered_. His wings were almost as big as his _spirit_ – noble, just and true. The trademarks of a true hero, and a true hero is what they need right now.

But…

Who said life was just as fair?

"Matsuda…" He began. The rookie stopped shaking from anger and turned his head to face the chief superintendent of the NPA. The aging man ran a hand through his hair before he sighed. "I… I _understand_ where you're coming from, but we have to be _practical_ – Kira is _different_. By nature, we humans are disturbed by things that are different. For all we know, Kira could be… evil. _Cruelly_ evil." He then took a seat and propped his elbows on the desk. "We can't afford to be idealistic, Matsuda. Please remember that as a member of the NPA."

"… _Chief_." He let it out as a disappointed whisper, but then… he understood perfectly what the chief meant.

Life was just so _cruel_.

He spared the screen a glance – spared _Kira_ a pitiful glance. " _Kira_ …"

So, **cruel**.

 _For the person with the same blood in his veins_

Ryuuk watched as a mob of reporters tried to get in the warehouse.

A line of _shield-pimping_ policemen was lined up neatly, effectively barricading the media from getting inside. Shouts, screams and yells were distributed across the area as several reporters tried to reason their way in.

"Kira! Kira! We must get a glimpse of Kira!"

"No! It's too dangerous!"

Ryuuk snickered as he continued to watch the scene, but then he stopped. Dangerous…? He couldn't mean for _Raito_?

…uh-oh.

Ryuuk stood up from his crouched position and readied his wings. _**"'**_ _This can't be good. If anything happened to the kid…_ _ **'"**_ He trailed off and flew over to the warehouse.

Saving the kid was more fun than staying on top of that tree, anyway.

 _You show no regrets_

 _About all the things you did or said_

" _Kira, we expect you to come_ quietly _."_

Like _hell_ he was!

Right now, Raito could feel that the police were slowly trying to corner him. He observed that their steps were getting louder and they were getting _closer_. He had no choice but to back away just as slow though. But at the same time, he was thinking of a _plan_.

He needed to _escape_.

' _OK, that solves my WTF-DO-I-DO-NOW_ _problem…'_ He thought as he backed away slowly.

 _Slowly_. Like… ten seconds later, a foot backs away a few inches. Yes, _that_ slow, but who was Raito to complain? At least it gave him some time to think of a tremendously-awesome plan to escape the clutches of the evil L and his hoard of perverted scientists and inspectors.

…that sounded _wrong_.

' _But_ everything _about what I thought of L was_ also _wrong.'_ He glanced around, noticing that the police were getting _so close_. Shit. _'Damn it! I need to find a way out,'_

"' _Yo! Raito!'"_

Ryuuk's voice was like the voice of God – he was _saved_! Raito suddenly looked up, making the police more alert. They pointed their guns to where he was looking at, but found that there was nothing there.

"What the _hell_?"

"What's he looking at?"

L's voice suddenly erupted, _"No! Don't take your eyes off him! It's probably a diversion of some sort!"_

Raito continued to look up, gazing at the waving shinigami who was about to _get his ass kicked_ if he won't help him! He sent an all-knowing _glare_ at the death god – he _better_ helps him out of here!

Ryuuk snickered, as if he knew what was running through his human friend's head. He raised a reassuring hand to try and calm down the doomed superhero. _"'Relax, Raito. There aren't many of them here inside – most of them are outside, fending off the number of media men.'"_ He explained. Well, _that_ helped.

The brunet hero was almost tempted to shout at the shinigami – but yeah, even as a superhero with amazing superpowers and super-secret identity, he was still _Raito_. And _Raito_ was not going to give the policemen and _L_ – he was going to have to remove all the L-Forever icons in his PC later – the impression that he was _insane_.

That would be counter-productive.

' _Blasted shinigami!'_ He then glanced over his shoulder – five or six policemen. He scowled and looked at both sides – nine on the right and around seven or eight on the left. _Great_. He didn't want to hurt them – Kira doesn't _do_ friendly-fire – so what was he going to _do_? Jump over them?

He heard Ryuuk snicker again. Arghh, that blasted shinigami – _"'You know, Raito, this is the first time I've seen you so jittery and panicky. The police intimidating ya, or something?'"_

' _Dammit, Ryuuk! Not now!'_ He growled in his mind and _stopped_ moving. He was cornered. Oh, for _fuck's sake_ –

"' _In fact, I think you're_ so _troubled right now that you forgot that you have_ invisibility _powers,'"_

…crap.

 _I have failed you_

L _carefully_ watched the superhero as the police started to close in on him.

' _Why hasn't he tried to escape yet?'_ He thought, biting his thumb. His onyx eyes were practically glued to the screen as he observed the superhero's movements. _'Why…?'_

L found it _suspicious_ that the black-clad, black-winged vigilante hasn't tried anything yet. When the spotlights came to life, he was obviously taken aback at first. But now, after being told that he was going to be _captured_ and _confined_ for observational purposes, wasn't he supposed to be… escaping right now?

Or was he thinking of a plan?

' _There is an eighty-nine… no,_ _ **ninety-four**_ _percent chance that Kira's currently figuring out how to escape,'_ Messy, black locks clouded his face, but that didn't cloud his _judgement_ – L knew for a fact that _Kira_ , this superhero, was _intelligent_ , after all. To think he was able to track down a _top-secret_ , _public-hidden_ , _practically-non-existent-to-the-general-mass-of-human-being's_ criminal and _catch_ him. Before L did.

Yes, L was holding a grudge.

…but was that _all_ that motivated him to agree to help capture this fascinating creature…?

L didn't know. What he _did_ know that he somehow… admired the superhero. _Envied_ , even. Before the Lind L. Tailor incident, L had already been investigating the superhero, albeit for amusement and entertainment purposes. Kira was… remarkable, he had to admit. The embodiment of _justice_ – _his_ justice. If L were like any regular person – _doubt it_ – he'd even say that he looked up to Kira.

Well, that was _before_ he surpassed him. That was just _wrong_. No one surpasses _L_ – not even a spandex-wearing superhero-wannabe! L wanted _answers_ from this individual. And by any _means_ , he's going to _get_ answers!

The great detective was pulled from his thoughts when the police started panicking.

" _What the_ hell _?"_

" _What's he looking at?"_

Truth be told, the superhero was now looking up at _something_. The camera was tilted slightly so he could get a good look at what Kira was looking at, but L quickly discovered that he was looking at an _empty_ space. That's odd. What was Kira trying to do –

 _Oh_.

He pressed the button on the mike and yelled: "No! Don't take your eyes off him!" _That sneaky little…_ "It's probably a diversion of some sort!" He let go of the button as he _carefully_ watched Kira's movements.

So, he thought he could _trick_ L and his army of policemen by _pretending_ to be looking at something, eh? Well, Kira would be _disappointed_ to find out that nothing gets past L. _Nothing_.

Absolutely _nothing_.

Kira continued to look up. He was obviously _angry_ , clenching his fists like that. L thought it was only _natural_. The poor young man – yes, _young_ man – was obviously at wit's end, not knowing what to do and where to escape. L couldn't help but feel a bit _triumphant_ at that. Nothing gets past L.

Nothing.

Then Kira let out a gasp – from what L can deduce, he must've figured out something. That pretty – wait, _pretty_? – head of his then _slowly_ lowered until it was parallel to the floor. His mouth was slightly agape, and L could _practically_ make out what he was thinking:

 _Of course,_

He then thought of a plan – if Kira was going to escape to the left or to the right, the police would be able to intercept him. If he opted to go for the _back_ , he'd be cornered once they follow him. And if he decides to _fly away_ , police can always _shoot_ him. His lips twitched upward as he thought of this. Brilliant as always, L. Nothing gets past you. No –

" _Hey, where'd he goes?!"_

" _He vanished!"_

Obsidian eyes widened. What the _fuck_? What _happened_? Kira just vanished!

" _L! L! We can't see him! All that's left is – "_

…Nothing?

 _But believe me_

Raito vanished and _ran_.

He sneakily passed through the police with his _phase_ ability and got out of the warehouse. Once he phased through the building, he stopped in his tracks when he came face to face with a crowd.

Of _people_.

Media.

Oh… my… Go –

He heard a flutter of wings behind him and looked over his shoulder. It was just _Ryuuk_ – that snickering, too-useless-for-his-own-good Ryuuk. _"'There are a lot of people here, aren't there?'"_

Raito nodded and suddenly lurched forward. Dammit… he's at his limit now. He's been using his powers for three days straight – he _has_ to remember to bring extra apples! Though _where_ he would place them would be a problem. He was on his knees now and he felt pressure hit his stomach.

This was the first-time Raito ever felt so _drained_.

Ryuuk stepped beside him – how come _he_ can see him while he's invisible? – and said, _"'Hey, Raito… that was kinda close.'"_ He remarked, looming over Raito's kneeling form. The brunet scowled. No _duh_. _"'But you know, you better hurry… 'coz I'm getting a really bad feeling here.'"_

The brunet shook his head, no. "Wait, Ryuuk… let me… rest a bit. Good God, I'm _tired_." He whispered, careful not to let anyone around hear him. Well, it wasn't difficult – everyone was screaming and yelling about how Kira escaped and where he might be right now. He noticed the area getting darker too. Clouds must've blocked the moon. Well, other than that… Raito thought he was safe as long as he stayed quiet and careful.

Ryuuk looked up at the covered moon, feeling a little… anxious. _"'Are ya sure, Raito? 'Coz I'm getting a REALLY BAD feeling here – "_

"Ugh, for the last time, Ryuuk!" He yelled, glancing over his shoulder. Ryuuk's eyes were wide, and his mouth was agape. The shinigami looked like he was gonna say something, but Raito interjected. "JUST LET ME GET SOME FUCKING – "

"OH, MY GOD, IT'S KIRA!"

…ohh _craaaaaaap_.

Raito's eyes widened as he slowly turned his head to look at the crowd… looking at him. Staring at him. _Quietly._

Shit.

Eventually, someone from the police force snapped out of it and pointed at him accusingly. "HHey! It's Kira!"

"Get him!"

"Don't let him escape!"

Raito gritted his teeth and took off, running away. He fled to the woods in hopes of somehow escaping from the police by foot.

Ryuuk was hovering above him, snickering a bit. _"'I_ toooold _you!'"_ He mocked. Rubbing it in was so much fun!

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, RYUUK!" He yelled and then blanched when he heard – —OH MY GOD, WERE THOSE BARKS?!

' _SHIT!'_ He started to accelerate. _'They even brought dogs! DOGS! GOD, I HATE DOGS!'_ His heart was racing, his breath becoming labored. Damn, he was getting _tired_! He started panting – he stumbled a bit after almost tripping over that tree root. Even his vision was getting blurry! His senses… his senses weren't working that well anymore. He was unaware of the police men gaining on him; unaware of the dogs that somehow managed to catch up to him, trying to _bite_ his wings.

Raito was unaware of Ryuuk's slowly frowning face.

Despite his slowly-decreasing sense of sight and awareness, Raito was able to get a glimpse of what was ahead –

…a cliff.

GOD DAMN IT.

' _Oh, for fuck's sake!'_ he put pressure on his back, signaling his wings to _fucking spread_. They obeyed, albeit a little reluctantly. He started to accelerate – come on, just a _few more_ – he noticed the barks and yells were fading into echoes. His mind was getting cloudy, his senses were nearing into disability –

—but somehow, Kira still managed to _fly_.

He ascended, took off and _flew_ – feathers spread, a mix of black and white. The dogs were left by the edge of the cliff. They were barking at him angrily, as if saying 'get the **fuck** back here!' As he stayed in the moonless air, he could feel his panic slowly decreasing into _relief_. He was safe. Nothing could –

 _BANG!_

His eyes widened as that gut feeling vibrated in his stomach. He turned around unconsciously, unaware of what was about to _come_. He turned just in time to avoid the impact aimed at his neck, but because reflex was such a _damn nuisance_ … he lifted his arm in an attempt to protect himself, then–

—blood. Hurt. Pain.

His arm got _hit_.

He screamed in silence – mouth wide but no sound came out. His wings twitched and elongated, as if they felt the pain as well. They violently twitched, and soon, they retracted, leaving Kira alone, hurt – wingless.

And then, he started to _fall_.

Everything was… in slow motion in his world. His auburn locks swayed as he doubled over, clutching his wounded arm. He fell, an array of black and white feathers following him. He started _descending_ closer to the water – was this the end?

Is this… Kira's end?

Raito's eyes started getting cloudy, and he felt… tired. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impact – —but it never _came_.

Instead of a collision of wetness and death, Raito felt something squeeze his shoulders. Then, instead of falling, Raito started… flying again.

…huh?

' _What…?'_ He thought groggily as he slowly lifted his head. It hurt, the pain. But somehow, he managed to open his eyes and then he saw –

Ryuuk was quiet while he grasped the young man's shoulders, looking forward instead of looking at Raito. His wings were fluttering silently. Silent as the moonless night.

"' _Gotcha.'"_

Raito groaned as he felt blood trickling down his bicep. "R-Ryuuk… wh-why are you – ""' _I'll explain everything when we get back home, kid.'"_ Then, he lifted his head just in time to see the moon reappearing, as if to bless Raito with its light. His face was a permanent grin, but… he as blank. He… didn't know what to feel.

"' _Look, kid. The moon's back.'"_

Raito eyed the moon with what he could tell was gratefulness. He could feel some strength coming back, but the pain still clouded his mind.

"Yeah."

Ryuuk glanced over his bony shoulder, before stifling a laugh. The police were all "WTF" right now. They all seemed _very_ disturbed – too shocked to even _do_ anything. But Ryuuk couldn't guess the expression on that… that shady man in a trench coat. He carried what seemed to be a rifle. A sniper?

Ahh. So, _he_ shot Raito.

He snickered quietly as he whispered, _"'Hey, Raito – you're giving them quite a show. Why don't you try turning invisible again?'"_

"…I'll try." With a small groan, he managed to summon enough strength to _disappear_.

Raito started falling into unconsciousness.

 _Police sirens…_

His eyes started to become heavy.

 _Dogs barking…_

Slowly…

 _Yells and screams…_

Slowly…

 _Then, the silence of the night…_ Raito passed out.

 _You failed me too_

"Chief, Kira got away."

No _duh_. Soichirou didn't _need_ to be told to _realize that_. The man clenched his fists, not knowing why he felt so _affected_ by this. What… what happened?

The chase was phenomenal – the superhero suddenly appeared in front of a crowd of ravenous media men and reporters, only to run away through the woods. He went over a cliff, flew, got shot and… just vanished. Well, that's what the hidden camera around a dog collar showed. The mutt was moving around too much for them to totally see what's going on – Matsuda even got sick just by _looking_ at the headache-inducing video.

He clutched his head. Now _he_ was feeling a headache coming along…

Then, an L appeared on the screen. _"Chief Yagami – I trust you believe me_ now _that you've seen what you've seen?"_ It was L. Soichirou's eyes narrowed, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he just nodded; L could probably see him anyway.

He was correct. _"Now that we've confirmed Kira's existence and current situation in Japan, I would like to ask the NPA's cooperation in finding and capturing this masked vigilante. It is crucial that we find him fast – there's no telling what sort of scheme this mysterious figure is planning."_

Unbelievable – _why_ were they so paranoid? But then, Soichirou, as the chief superintendent of the NPA, understood why they have to at least _confirm_ Kira's innocence (or _lack_ of). Something inside the chief was _screaming_ at him to protest… and of course, he ignored it.

He nodded gravely, having no choice in the matter. "…yes."

There was a brief pause. _"Thank you."_ Beeeeeeep –

Damn, his head _hurt_.

 _It's so easy to destroy_

 _And condemn_

 _The ones you do not understand_

 _Do you ever wonder if it's justified?_

L was pacing around the small room – biting his thumb, scanning files. You know, that sort of great detective thing. He let out a silent 'tch' as he gazed at a picture of Kira on the wall.

They let him _escape_.

' _He got away,'_ He told himself. _'He. Got._ _ **Away**_ _.'_

Damn it.

He didn't know if he wanted to _punish_ himself by saying that fact all over again, but a part of L just didn't want to _accept_ it. Perhaps _he_ himself should be the one to capture him? Hmph, no. He wouldn't risk his true identity just for the sake of capturing a stupid, justice-enforcing, black-clad hero. But what does it _take_ to capture a being of unrivaled strength, mystical gifts of flight and, _from what he has seen_ , spontaneous invisibility?

Someone just _shoot_ him.

Speaking of _shooting someone_ , L remembered the superhero getting shot. Watari was indeed a _remarkable_ sharp-shooter; even when Kira turned to avoid the impact, his loyal and efficient companion still managed to hurt him. He aimed for the neck, though – but still, a shot was a shot. Those wings vanished and Kira started falling until…

…he _stopped_.

L remembered staring wide-eyed at the screen, mouth slightly agape – _horrified_. He was _horrified_. How… how was he able to…?

Kira was truly a _fascinating_ being.

He stopped pacing and regarded the blank screen with a hint of nostalgia – he reminisced, thinking about the time when he first heard of the magical wonder that is Kira. Where was he?

Ahh yes… he was solving a case. He was analyzing the data they've collected on the serial killer in Canada when an email alerted him of the arrival of a newsletter from Japanese news – he remembered staring curiously at the headline –

"— _Superhero Sighted! Killer of Crime: Kira!"_ it read.

L had an innate sense of curiosity – why wouldn't he? He clicked on the button, and as he read the article, he got more and more _curious_. He started Google-ing the mysterious crime-fighter. Only articles appeared, and some showcased blurry pictures of a flying figure's silhouette.

When he first saw the wings, L had spit out his sugar-infested tea and almost fell over his chair in shock.

His curiosity got even stronger – he even hired undercover photographers at one point. Only one of them managed to get a clear shot, though – Kira was so _close_. Although his back was facing the camera, the shot was so _perfectly_ clear that L could even see the _smoothness_ of those feathers, the _blackness_ of that costume, the _tightness of_ –

He shook his head and scratched his scalp. No. _No_ – don't go there, L. The black-haired detective gave the one-of-a-kind-picture – L was a little _proud_ that _he_ had the _only_ imprinted copy of Kira's… back – a brief glance. He approached it and stroked the outlines of the wings with a bony, slender finger.

Kira was _truly_ a remarkable creature.

"Kira…" He breathed. If only Kira hadn't _outwitted_ L. If only Kira had stayed in Japan at that time. If _only_ Kira hadn't surpassed L and captured a criminal that was supposed to be _his triumph_. If only Kira…

If only _he_ captured Kira.

Then, L's head jerked up, as if he had realized something. He blinked in surprise – no, can this _be_ …? Was he…?

The plain detective felt his lips twitch upward in amusement. Ahh. So, _that's_ what it is.

' _I'll find you, Kira.'_ L figured it out.

' _I_ _ **will**_ _find you.'_

His curiosity…

' _No matter_ _ **what**_ _it takes!'_

…had turned into an **obsession**.

 _It's so easy to destroy_

 _And condemn_

 _The ones you do not understand_

 _In your life, why didn't you ever try_

 **CHAPTER ENDS**

LINE BREAK

 **CHAPTER 6 – THE CHASE BEGINS**

 _Darkness lies outside me, here_

 _And a bit inside as well..._

 _How absurd is this desert city?_

"'…has anyone seen Ryuuk lately?'"

The Shinigami Realm looked the same way it did yesterday – grey, desolate and dull. Only black trees and dry bones decorated the grey plains of the death gods. Still, it was home, but definitely _not_ homey.

"'Hasn't he gone back from the Human World? He dropped his notebook there, didn't he?'" The disfigured creature shrugged, raising his hands. "'I dunno. I haven't seen him for a long time.'"

A chuckle. "'You know what? I think he's having trouble finding the damn thing. Maybe a human picked it up!'"

"'Shit, that would _definitely_ stink!'"

The two creatures continued to laugh. They dictated several different scenarios – and they usually end up with the Shinigami King getting pissed. The thought of him reprimanding Ryuuk like a child made them laugh harder.

"'—but wait. Doesn't the idiot have _two_ notebooks?'"

"'…oh yeah. What ever happened to the other one?'"

"Well, anyway, whether he has one or two- _hundred_ – he's still in a _lot_ of trouble when the old man finds out!'"

The shinigami sitting on the rocky earth looked up from his position. "'I heard he wasn't looking for his notebook.'" The long-chinned creature scratched his scalp. "'I think he imbued it with his powers or something – '"

There was silence. The three laughing shinigami stopped to look at the long-chinned one. They were obviously shocked to hear the news.

"'…what? Ryuuk… _imbued_ it? But, could that mean – '"

"'—a human already found it?'"

The third shinigami scratched her head. "'Geez. This could actually mean trouble…'"

"'…should we go find him?'"

"'What?! Are you crazy? Do you wanna die or something?'"

"'Yeah. Anything that involves humans – 'cept for killing them, of course – means danger for _us_. You remember what happened to Gelus? That blundering idiot…'"

"'Yeah. Throw him along with Ryuuk in the psycho bin.'"

The long-chinned shinigami looked up at the sky – it was grey, as usual. But something was… different.

He shrugged. Oh well – time for gambling.

 _I can't even explain how_

 _But this is not my dimension_

When Raito opened his eyes, he was greeted by the dim light emitted by the moon. Suddenly, pain hit him – aching, hurting. He brought a hand over his _unmasked_ face, rubbing a sore cheek.

' _Where… where am I?'_

He used his arms to lift himself up – _oww, oww,_ _ **oww**_ – as he glanced around him. He let out a relieved sigh; he was safe.

His bedroom.

' _But how…'_ Then it hit him like speeding train – Ryuuk. _Ryuuk_ helped him. Saved him. He must've carried him here…

…but why?

' _To think that a shinigami has a_ heart _,'_ He joked dryly. Raito shook his head, brown locks swaying as he did. He sat up and leaned against the headboard of the bed. _'I find it utterly humorous.'_

A voice invaded his thoughts. _"'Oh, you're awake now, Raito?'"_ It was the shinigami himself. Raito looked to the right and saw that he was perched on the balcony and carried what seemed like… a bunch of apples. He squinted – no, that can't be right. Wait… it is.

Were… were those apples meant for him?

As if reading his thoughts, the shinigami snickered as he let himself in. _"'Don't flatter yerself,_

 _Raito. I got these for myself… but yeah, you can have some if you like.'"_ He threw one in the air and caught it in his mouth. A loud munching invaded Raito's ears as Ryuuk happily devoured his apples.

At least save _one_ for him!

The teenager lifted an arm to inspect it. He scowled when he saw a rather deep wound. From a gun, he figured… no. From a rifle. A sniper, from what he could deduce. They went through _all that_ trouble just to meet him? Just to _attempt_ to capture him? Raito would've been _super_ flattered if it weren't for the fact that those _jerks_ got him _hurt_.

In more ways than _one_.

He slowly lifted a knee as he tried to make himself more comfortable. He looked out the window when he was more at ease. A sigh escaped his tired lips as his mind replayed the events that happened earlier.

He felt _so betrayed_. Hurt even.

' _This world is so rotten.'_ He said to himself as brown eyes continued to gaze afar, admiring the moon for all its worth. _'Even government officials and law men.'_ He smirked bitterly as he thought this. Perhaps the world needed him _more_ than he thought it did.

The world needed _Kira_.

L's arrogance and the ICPO's stupidity _didn't_ change that.

Ryuuk munched on another apple, happy despite Raito's situation. He perched on the edge of the bed and crouched in front of Raito's tired figure. He stared at the young man with those _wide red eyes_ with what Raito thought was silent observation before he spoke.

"' _You know, Raito… that was_ really _close.'"_

The brunet nodded, silently wishing that he never fell for such a cheap trick. Special announcement his _ass_. How _low_ , L. How _really low…_

"Yeah," He finally muttered after a long silence. He groaned as he raised his injured arm over his knee. "Real close."

The shinigami harrumphed and toss an apple to the young man who caught it with no difficulty. The creature started devouring another red fruit of goodness. Then, out of pure curiosity and absolutely _no_ concern, Ryuuk asked: _"'You OK, kid?'"_

Raito lifted his head in mild surprise. He then remembered what happened – being shot, getting weaker, losing his wings, _falling_ – and asked out of _curiosity_ :

"Ryuuk, why did you save me?"

To his surprise, Ryuuk let out a small 'ohh' and snickered. He fell on his butt and sat comfortably on the edge of the bed. _"'Why? Are you flattered or something?'"_

Raito's eyes narrowed. "Stop kidding around, Ryuuk! I want to know _why_ – why a _shinigami_ of all things would save _me_ , a mere human, from dying! Isn't that… _weird_ for a death god like you?"

Ryuuk tilted his head as he took another apple-bite. He nodded casually, as if it was _nothing at all_. _"'Yeah, it's weird. Death gods don't just go saving humans from extinction. In fact, that's what we live for.'"_ He twirled an apple with his sharp finger as he continued. _"'I'll tell you now, Raito, that we shinigami value from taking human lives. In fact, we gain_ extra lives _from killing you guys. Kekekeke…'"_ The apple was going _'round_ and _'round_ … but Raito's focus was on the shinigami.

Why was he telling him this _now_?

"Ryuuk, what – "

A sharp finger-nailed hand was raised. _"'Let me finish; by killing a human, a shinigami can gain extra life depending on the remaining time left in the deceased human's life. For example, a shinigami killed a forty-year-old man whose death was supposed to be at sixty.'"_ The spinning stopped. _"'Sixty minus forty equals twenty, right? So, that shinigami gained twenty extra years. Amazing, huh? And by how we do it… well, even if I did tell you, you wouldn't be able to do it. Not that you can gain extra life, though… kekeke…'"_

Ryuuk was starting to confuse him. Death gods? Extra life? _Gain_? What was he trying to tell him? "Ryuuk, will you get to the _point_ already?" Geez. Ryuuk and his beat-around-the-bushness…

"' _Yeah, yeah, I'm getting to that… anyways, since we value from taking human lives, we don't save 'em. We don't go swooping down to your world just 'coz someone's about to die… unless of course, there's a special condition.'"_ He lifted a finger and pointed at himself, then at Raito.

"' _You and I are an example of that,'"_

"Special condition? You?" Ryuuk nodded. OK, he just got even _more_ confused. "What are you trying to tell me, Ryuuk?"

"' _That notebook inside ya… shouldn't have been imbued with my powers to begin with.'"_ He explained. _"'It's a Death Note – the instrument we shinigami use to write down the names of those we want to kill. There are certain rules about its use, though… a real pain to write down, really._

"' _So instead of just dropping it as it is, I decided to have a little… fun with it. With the shinigami King's permission, I was able to imbue the notebook with my powers. And whatever human that manages to find it and merge with it will be able to use my powers however he or she chooses. In our case, you're that human, and you chose to use it to fight crime. Kekekeke, it still amuses me, Raito…_ "' _But of course, since we don't normally_ do _that… I had to agree with certain conditions to be able to continue with my fun.'"_ He threw the apple in the air and _consumed_ it whole. Raito was looking at him all the while – calculating, analyzing… thinking.

Certain conditions, eh?

"And these conditions are…?"

He lifted a bony finger. _"'First, I have to follow you around till you give up those powers – oops,_

 _I forgot to tell you, Raito! You can give up your powers… silly me?_ ("RYUUK!") _– or you die. That would've been a while ago if I hadn't intervened, kekekeke…_

"' _Second, I gotta prevent you from using the notebook for its original purpose – writing down names to kill people. If you give up your powers, temporarily or not, it'll just float up from your stomach – like it's being pulled outta ya. When it gets out of your gut, it'll look like how it originally looked like – a notebook._ But _you can't use it as an instrument to kill. I dunno why, but the shinigami King_ really _told me not to let you use it. Sorry if that disappoints you, Raito_ (A huff. "As if I'd want to soil my hands by killing others,") _…'"_

Ryuuk then leaned in closer, shocking Raito when they were just a few inches apart. _"'And third – the most critical condition of them all – is that… if_ you _get killed,_ I _get killed_. _'"_

Raito's breath hitched. If he died… Ryuuk would die too? But why?

As if Ryuuk read his thoughts, the shinigami shrugged. _"'I don't really know, either. Maybe the old man meant about the_ notebook _getting killed? I dunno – but basically, if anything happens to you, the same thing happens to the notebook… and me. So, if you drown, the notebook would also 'drown', thus I would too. I dunno if the old man was bluffing or not, but… I don't want to risk it._

"' _So, I didn't save ya 'coz I wanted to, Raito.'"_ He said, a little seriousness in his tone of voice.

"' _I saved ya 'coz I_ _ **had**_ _to. For my_ own _survival.'"_

Ahh. So, _that's_ why. Raito smiled to himself a little sadly. Of course, there had to be a good reason why Ryuuk, a death god with no pity whatsoever, would save him. It explained _everything_ really… why Ryuuk was always looking after him, albeit a little questionably, asking if he was all right or something – it was to preserve his own existence.

…not that he could blame him.

Then, Ryuuk said, _"'But even though that's the case… I also felt it was a shame to let you die so quickly. We have lotsa fun together, Raito! It's like watching an action movie… only live and inperson. It would be a waste to let ya die, so I saved ya.'"_ He snickered. _"'Even if I_ won't _die when you die, I would still save ya… just 'coz it would be so_ _ **boring**_ _without you.'"_

Well, that was… nice.

Raito had to smile at that. He chuckled quietly and stared at the apple in his hand. "You know, Ryuuk…" He lifted it in the air, admiring the roundness of the red fruit. "You're pretty nice for a shinigami."

At that, the shinigami let out a small 'ohhh'. _"'Don't tell me you're going all mushy on me, Raito! Yeah, I saved ya… it's not a big deal.'"_

He decided to have a little fun. "Aww, but Ryuuk! It was the _sweetest_ thing anyone has ever done for me! Are you _suuuuure_ you're a death god?"

"' _AHHH! Stop it! If there's one thing I can't stand – ohh wait,_ two _things I can't stand: it's no apples (the horror!) and people calling me… gahhhh! WITHDRAWAL!'"_ He started twisting in that odd way of his while Raito started laughing at him.

He stopped, settling for an amused smile as he stared at the ceiling. He ignored Ryuuk's screams – _"'AHHHHHH MAKE IT STOOOOP!'"_ – and brought the smooth apple's surface against his awaiting lips. He thought of only one thing as he touched the apple with his teeth: L.

' _That bastard,'_ his teeth penetrated the apple. He then sported a sneaky smirk. _'So, he wants to capture me, hmm? Make me his little lab experiment? Well, we'll see, L… we'll see.'_ He then started consuming the apple with more vigor.

So, the chase begins.

 _And my mind gets never comfort_

 _It is always somewhere else_

A few days have passed, and Kira was still running amuck and saving the world, one step at a time. The general public thought that, after the incident that happened days ago, Kira would be discouraged and refrain from doing heroic acts. To their delight, though, the fact that the police are conspiring against him didn't change a thing.

Much to the NPA's chagrin.

"OK, let's review the tips we've received."

"Yes, sir."

At the Special Investigation Headquarters for Winged-Vigilante-Running-Amuck Case (1), there was an assembly taking place. Investigators gathered to report the information they've collected on Kira so far – but then, the information they got were… unhelpful.

Chief Yagami sighed as he waited for the report to begin. He had his own clipboard that contained the information they received. They were _strange_ , Soichirou thought.

"So far, we've received 3,029 phone calls from the public." A well-built, suit-donned man said as he stood, reading the information on his clipboard. "Most of them were from just… _really curious_ citizens, but… there were fourteen callers who claimed to either _know_ Kira, or to have seen him."

Someone _stab_ chief Yagami _now_. Of _course,_ they've seen him! He was on the news a few days ago, What sort of logic was that? The Yagami patriarch sighed internally.

He was feeling that headache coming along again…

The person standing continued with his report, "From those callers, we got detailed descriptions which are given in my report, but I think it's safe to say that none of them are really credible," He turned a page. "We also received twenty-one callers who _claimed_ to be Kira."

There was a slight pause. Yagami Soichirou exchanged looks with the person beside him before clearing his throat, signaling for the reporter to continue. These people were obviously _lying_ – why would Kira simply _surrender_ himself after what the police had _done_ to him? Kira's obviously a very _intelligent_ person; Soichirou also assumed that Kira didn't want to _lose_ to anybody, considering the fact that he defied the police and _successfully escaped_. He rubbed his temples – damn headache.

Where the hell was his coffee?

"Not wanting to rule out any possibility, however slight…" The man continued. "We took statements from each caller and have them on file."

The aging man nodded and cleared his throat. "All right… now let's look at the salvaged citizens."

"Yes," Another man stood up while the first one sat down. "We've managed to determine that most civilians saved from either calamities or acts of crime were situated in Japan. And as for…" He glanced a little to his side, eyeing the laptop with what seemed to be distrust. "As for the time of rescue, which L is so _particularly_ interested about – most victims were saved from crimes between four and six in the afternoon, Japanese time. A majority of those between eight in the evening and twelve midnight was sixty-eight percent.

"Also, on weekends and national holidays, time of rescue was scattered between eleven in the morning and twelve midnight."

After it was apparent that the report was concluded, L's voice erupted in the air. _"Very interesting information…"_ He began. _"Based on those times, it's actually possible that this savior, Kira is a mere student!"_ He noted casually, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Chief Yagami's head jerk in surprise.

" _This is_ still a theory _, though. No guarantees. And considering the fact that he doesn't just save civilians but also inflicts a considerable amount of…_ pain _on criminals involved in the particular crime, this person is acting under a strong sense of justice. It's quite similar to how fictional superheroes act – Kira's just trying to make the world a better place._

" _Kira… is a very optimistic and idealistic person."_

The investigators were quiet as they listened to L's declaration. _"This is just a mere theory, but please remove any personal bias that this could_ not _be the work of a student… or at least, a young man with a very petite build."_

At that, Soichirou got curious. "What do you mean by that last statement, L? Are you saying that this could not be a student after all?"

" _I said it was a theory – Kira could merely be a college student, or a very ambitious high school student. I would say that Kira's actually very young – his age must range from sixteen to twenty-three, at oldest."_

Inspector Yagami's eyes widened. His _son_ was seventeen… so did that mean he was… No. That couldn't be right. Not his son.

Then, a random investigator raised a question. "What grounds do you have for concluding this, L?"

There was a slight pause before L replied. _"I am aware that you have seen what Kira looks like,"_ He began. Visions of a well-built man invaded their heads as L continued to speak.

" _From what I saw, I could conclude that Kira's height is an estimate five feet and ten or so inches. This varies, depending on his choice of footwear. Also, though Kira may appear to be very… muscular and well-built, you cannot ignore the fact that the size of his biceps is too small for a man of twenty-five or so years old._

" _And you obviously heard his voice; it's neither high-pitched or baritone, indicating that he is still in the middle of adolescent puberty. This also varies depending on his genetic make-up, but in general, these are obviously traits of a young adolescent._

" _As such,"_ L paused after a long proclamation. _"We must accept all possibilities. That will help us lead to Kira._

" _Please continue with the report,"_ he ended, the room going silent.

The chief superintendent was the one who broke it. He cleared his throat, still a little overwhelmed by what he heard. "Y-Yes… is there anything else we haven't tackled yet?"

An all-too-familiar ebony-haired rookie raised his hand. "Umm…?"

"Hmm? Yes, Matsuda?"

The rookie stood up, looking a little hesitant. "Well… this…" He paused, as if unsure what to say. "This is in absolutely no way meant to give credit to Kira, but… all over the world, especially in Japan, the over-all rate of violent crimes committed has decreased dramatically." Some investigators weren't listening as he said this. Others disdainfully huffed at him as if he had just uttered an insult.

Soichirou – damn _headache_ – interlaced his fingers and covered his mouth. Ahh, Matsuda. So, naïve as usual. The chief didn't say that what the rookie said _wasn't true_ , but… "Well, that would be _obvious_ , considering he's a superhero who _fights crime_ with the general intent to _somehow stop it_." There were things the young man had to learn… and being so idealistic is _not_ one of them.

"Anyone else?"

Matsuda gave a small sigh before assuming his seat.

When no one else raised his hand, the chief decided that the meeting is over. He looked over to where L's laptop was. "So… I guess that's all for today's meeting, L."

" _Thank you for your hard work,"_ He said, though Soichirou knew it was meant only halfheartedly. _"I feel like we're getting a little closer to finding Kira."_ Soichirou thought that was that, and started to stand up. Then –

" _Now,"_ L's voice stopped his movements. _"I've got another request for you, if you don't mind, chief Yagami."_ All eyes were on the laptop as each individual in the room – save for Watari and L himself, of course – waited for L's request.

" _This is for the squads in charge of victims, media and the Internet. I'd like you all to investigate once more how the rescues and crime-fighting were reported in the Japanese media."_

 _But you... where are you?_

"Basically, I want to know if reports included photographs or footage of _any trace of Kira_. Also, I'd like to know if these reports are available to the public, or top-secret or given only to members of the NPA or any affiliated government force."

L bit his thumb and sat in that peculiar way of his. "If there are any interviews tackling the subject of Kira, determine whether the conversations hold any leads to capturing Kira or not. Also, if there are people who _seem_ to be acquainted with Kira, interrogate those persons as soon as possible. Watch out for suspicious characters; see if they know Kira's identity… or rather, _are_ Kira themselves.

"Thank you for your help." _Beep, beep._

Emotionless pools of obsidian stared at the screen. He didn't show emotion – he was blank, colorless and _grey_. L was described as a creature that was absolutely incapable of feeling a genuine emotion… and whoever said that was right.

But right now, deep inside, he was becoming anxious and excited. Truly, sometime in the near future they would obtain a lead, and with that lead… they would be led to Kira. The thought of finally capturing the popular hero _delighted_ L – for one thing, he could finally give the superhero a _piece of his mind_. Literally. L thought that he could drive the hero insane whilst he talked about many trivial things – why is the sky so blue? Why is the gas green? Why is nitrogen the most abundant gas in the Earth's atmosphere? He could go _on_ and _on_ and _on_ and Kira would be forced to listen to him because he was being _held captive._

Or L could give him a super-L-kick-of- **L** -ness. Yeah, that could work too.

And… and maybe get to know the superhero more.

L knew it was foolish to think about, but he couldn't help but want to be acquainted with the superhero. Who _wouldn't_? L was in a position where he can decide what to _actually do_ with the hero. In fact, he just _used_ the ICPO's reasons for capturing Kira to disguise his _true_ intentions – All this trouble… was all just to _meet_ him.

Silly of him, hmm?

But L's practical side still screamed 'Diabolic! Diabolic! Diabolic!' whenever an image of Kira would pop out. He cannot ignore the possibility that Kira was a scheming, no-good evildoer instead of a dignified, noble hero of justice. There is actually a forty-two percent chance of that being true… and although it is small compared to him being an authentic do-gooder, since it still _exists_ … L is forced to carry out the ICPO's demands.

But then, that didn't mean that he was going to _fully_ carry them out.

He scratched his chin as he continued to ponder and _think_. Where… Where could Kira be? He wanted to find him, capture him – _quickly_. After all, the sooner he was able to detain the vigilante…

…the sooner he'd be able to determine just _what the hell_ was wrong with him.

 _Where's your voice?_

"Chief!"

Yagami Soichirou refrained from stretching and turned around to see a familiar face – Matsuda.

The young rookie was carrying two cups of coffee, and he assumed the other one was for him. Quite the thoughtful lad; he was craving for coffee since the meeting ended.

He was offered the hot cup of _steaming_ , _fragrant_ coffee – _hallelujah!_ "You must be tired, sir." Matsuda remarked quite observantly.

For common courtesy's sake – and his _physical wellness'_ – the chief superintendent accepted the cup with a small, but tired smile. "Hmm? Oh, sorry about that." He replied before his lips accepted the warmth from the cup – feels like in heaven!

"I pulled another all-nighter yesterday," He said after drinking the refreshment.

Matsuda cast his eyes downwards and remarked, "When I said that the crimes have decreased, well…" He paused. "I'm pretty sure it's something everyone has noticed. And for that… I'm sorry for stating the obvious."

Soichirou gave Matsuda a stern look before saying, "What are you talking about, Matsuda? Facts are facts and need to be laid out on the table. All the more so if they're hard to bring up." Matsuda was still looking down, a little embarrassed still. But after hearing the chief say that, he felt a little more relieved.

"But of course, it would've been a problem if you had said that we shouldn't investigate Kira anymore just because he saves peoples' lives, and that we should just leave him alone." He added.

Matsuda faltered for a bit before covering his sudden anxiety with a nervous laugh. "Ah, hah, hah, hah… that's funny, chief! Real funny…"

"Hah, hah, hah… Yeah, real funny, isn't it?" And real true, too.

 _What about me if I don't have you_

 _If I don't get your help?_

"Oh, my _gosh_ , you're so amazing, onii-chaaan!"

Ryuuk watched in fascination as Raito taught his sister Mathematics. It's all gobbledy-gook to the shinigami, really! What were the letters for, anyway? Numbers were bad enough! Why add the alphabet to the equation…? Hah, hah! Equation! Alphabet! Ryuuk made another funny joke.

Being with Raito proved to be the most entertaining thing he ever did! Why, he's even entertaining himself now!

Maybe Raito was the miracle worker.

The brunet was immune to such assaults of flattery. He flipped his brown hair – insert slow motion _here_ – and said, "Che… did you even _understand_ it, you little brat?"

"Hey! Don't call me brat! And well… umm… a little bit?" The girl laughed sheepishly as she scratched the back of her head in slight embarrassment. Raito sighed – he's not the miracle worker after all, now was he?

' _But I guess it would take_ more _than a miracle to teach Sayu quadratic equations,'_ he observed silently and _sighed_.

Why did he stay home again?

Before he could answer his own question, a loud _ding-dong_ sounded. Sayu, being the observant and alert gremlin that she was, immediately stood up and declared, "Oh! Tou-san is back early!" Downstairs, Raito could hear his mother greeting his father a pleasant welcome. He heard an acknowledging 'yeah' from below, confirming his father's presence at their abode.

"Yeah, he really _is_ home early!" Sayu observed – quite the smart little thing, isn't she? – and started walking out of the bedroom. Raito stared at her in shock – no _fucking_ way, you little brat!

Raito spent two hours teaching her the same lecture _over_ and _over_ again and what does she do? Abandon him in his room to go _confirm_ their father's already-confirmed presence!

He called out to her as she headed for the door. "Hey, you! At least solve _one_ problem on your own!" Little weasel.

"Uhh… my stomach's hungry! Err," Sayu reasoned. "I-I'm hungry! Yeah! I can't think on an empty stomach, you know… uhh, after dinner, OK, onii-chan? OK-I-LOVE-YOU-BYE!" She vanished just in time to avoid the shoe Raito threw… and managed to knock the doorknob off.

Shoot.

Raito then gestured to remove the other shoe. "SHUT THE FUCK UP, RYUUK!"

The shinigami stopped sniggering – _"'HAHAHA! OK… OK…'"_ – and watched as Raito hid the fallen doorknob – "God, Tou-san is _so_ going to kill me…" – somewhere discreet.

"Geez," He muttered as he set the fallen object down somewhere hidden. "Sayu should really learn to concentrate…" He trailed off. He settled his gaze on the door – what the _hell_ was he going to do about _that_ …?

Ryuuk sniggered on the bed – _sexy pose_! – as he looked at Raito with amusement. _"'You seem confident, Raito.'"_

The brunet turned his gaze towards Ryuuk. "Hmm?"

The shinigami sat up, assuming a cross-sitting stance. _"'You're helping out your sister with her homework like there's absolutely nothing to worry about. Where does this confidence come from, Raito?'"_ He asked curiously.

Raito smirked. "Well, _yeah_ … it's no use if I panic, right? Besides, about where this confidence comes from…" Raito trailed off, smirk still in place. He started heading for the door to greet his father.

Ryuuk followed him with those red eyes until he eventually decided to follow him.

"Welcome home, tou-san." He greeted his father with a sweet, I'm-a-very-good-boy smile. His father was sitting on a step while taking his shoes off.

Chief Yagami let out a tired sigh as he nodded at his son. "Yeah… it's good to be home," Raito just continued to smile so sweetly, even though his father couldn't see him.

After a while, they assembled at the dining table. The brunet was sitting beside his sister, across his father and diagonal his mother. He chewed on some sashimi after dipping it in soy sauce.

Raito felt a presence beside him. When he figured out who it was, he almost choked on the raw fish.

Ryuuk looked creepy standing around like that, Raito thought. He should really find something else to do… like juggle apples. Or make fun of Raito's baby pictures. He almost groaned at the memory; a few weeks ago, Ryuuk noticed the picture frames hanging on the walls near the stairs. Raito thought he was just looking at them just 'coz, so he was shocked when Ryuuk raised a bony finger, pointed at his baby picture and _said_ (more like _laughed_ ):

"' _HAH, HAH. HAH, HAH. HAH, HAH.'"_

That… creeped Raito out.

His father's voice pulled him out of his own thoughts. "So, Raito… how is school?"

The young man let out a bored sigh and replied, "Same as always, tou-san." The reply was also boring, Raito thought. But then, that was to be expected. School _board him to death_.

Sayu decided to jump in. "As expected from my super-duper cool onii-chan! My proud oniichan!"

Yagami Sachiko giggled and nodded, proud of her son. "Yes! My proud son!"

Ryuuk sniggered. _"'Aww, how sweet…'"_ Raito wanted to _throw_ a sashimi at him.

Instead of focusing on the over-sized chicken that was Ryuuk, Raito opted to place his attention on his tired father. His eyes showed a little concern as he said:

"Tou-san, are you OK? You seem tired…"

The man nodded before he sighed. "Yeah… it's confidential, but…" He paused. "This case is a difficult one,"

' _I could only imagine,'_ Raito thought as he smiled secretly.

 _Everything will look better_

 _Under the Light that will come from the sun_

 _This night will be gone_

 _Darkness will fade out_

The smile soon disappeared when Raito uncovered a _small_ , _unimportant_ discovery. Yeah _right_.

Ryuuk snickered in his seat on the edge of the bed. _"'So… this_ source of confidence _you were talking about is your father?'"_

"Yeah," He said through a frown. "I can hack into his computer without leaving a trace. I just did – look." He pointed at the number of folders that appeared on his screen. "With this, I can find out what they're planning to do with Kira,"

Ryuuk nodded. _"'Yeah… your old man's in charge of that case, isn't he? The one with you being some sort of_ super villain _in disguise? Is that what you said?'"_

Raito frowned distastefully. Not at Ryuuk, surprisingly, but at the information he uncovered after he hacked into his father's main computer. He raised a mug to his lips as he read the report.

He leaned back in his seat. "It seems that the police are already suspecting that Kira is just a student," He supplied. "Or at least, a young man whose age ranges from sixteen to twenty-three."

"' _Kekekeke… you're screwed, buddy!'"_ Thanks, Ryuuk. That was _soo_ helping him right now.

Raito just harrumphed and took another sip from his mug. Then, realization _dawned_ like the morning sun! He set his mug down and clutched his chin – he assumed his _thinking pose_.

There was silence until – "Ryuuk,"

"' _Mm? What is it?'"_ Yey, did Raito think of something fun again?

"…do you remember how to make copies _now_?"

"'… _eh?'"_

Raito didn't spare the shinigami a glance as he continued speaking "…I can create copies of myself – maximum of three.

"Advantage? I'll be able to fight more people at once. Disadvantage? My strength will be distributed fairly among each copy.

"Let's say I make… one copy. That copy will obtain fifty percent of my current strength while I retain the other fifty. Make two, and that'll be thirty-three percent.

"If I'm interested to know more, I should ask you at a later date. You'll probably remember how I could do it." He turned his head to _smirk_ at the shinigami, whose face was blank as ever. " _Right_ , Ryuuk?"

"'… _I'm really disturbed that you somehow managed to remember what I've said almost two months ago,'"_ The black-clad shinigami declared. _"'And yeah, I remember a bit… what about it…?'"_

Raito sighed and stood up. He summoned his wings that ripped the back of his sweater.

"I don't suppose you could _teach me now_ , Ryuuk?"

Ryuuk snickered. Raito was such a genius at making his life more fun! (2)

 _Hills will be seen_

 _I will go on looking for you_

 _Away from this melancholy_

 _Envy or rage alike_

 _I don't want these words anymore_

 _To be here in my heart_

Two days later…

"WHAT? Twenty… _twenty-three_ Kira-sightings again yesterday?!" Soichirou banged his fists on the table as he stood up. "And all the criminals were brought in front of the nearest police stations?!"

"Y-Yes."

The NPA chief stared at the investigator in shock. "That's… we had the same number of Kira sightings the day before…" He rubbed his temples. "And criminals then were _also_ brought…" He trailed off, settling for a groan.

"Yeah. Two days in a row… and _weekdays_ …"

"Perhaps Kira isn't a student after all,"

"But he could've _skipped_ a few days – "

" _No! That isn't what Kira is trying to tell us!"_

All eyes turned to the laptop. A perpetual 'huh?' hung in the air until L decided to explain himself.

" _It is true that Kira may_ not _be a student,"_ He began with that calculating voice of his. He groaned in discontent before he continued, _"But that isn't what he's trying to tell us! Why did he appear forty-eight times in two days? And… why were the criminals conveniently brought to the nearest police centers, where we would know_ immediately _that he was running amuck?_

" _Maybe… maybe Kira is trying to tell us that,"_ He paused, and all eyes were focused on the Black Cloister-font _L_. _"Kira is capable of being at different places all at once."_

Although L managed to figure out the hidden message Kira conveyed, he was dissatisfied with this information. He bit his thumb and narrowed his eyes – he was _suspicious_. What was Kira trying to accomplish by doing this…?

" _But something's not right,"_ He said after a long period of silence. _"Right after we suspected that this masked vigilante may be a student, incidences happen in a way that repudiates my theory. Can it be a coincidence…?"_

Soichirou stared at the screen. Then, realization _dawned_ – come to think of it, some criminals who were brought to different police centers appeared _at the same time_. Meaning, they arrived at the stations simultaneously. Could L be on to something? Is this some kind of new power Kira having…? It scared him, knowing that this masked hero has several tricks up his sleeve. How could they possibly find _and_ capture something as powerful and devious as that…?

L was thinking the exact same thing. Well, something _similar_ to it at least. Kira is capable of flight, super-strength, super-speed, and _apparently_ , invisibility. And now… he's capable of multiplying himself? Making _copies_? What in the world is _going on_? This sort of thing should only stay within the publications of fictional comics! Not _real life_! This bothers L to a great extent.

But then… it was a _challenge_.

And speaking of a _challenge_ , L's theory was repudiated, _contradicted_. Kira started appearing at different times during the last two days – _weekdays_. L had only declared the theory of the superhero being a student _three days ago,_ Coincidence? A clash of incidences? L didn't think so.

" _No… the timing is too perfect,"_ He declared. Then, he said something that alerted the entire police force present – _"Could it be that Kira has some way of getting information known only to the police force…?"_ This is clearly a challenge – directed at _him_. Kira was challenging him!

And L _loves_ challenges as much as he loves _sugar_.

Despite the situation and the panic, he caused inside the headquarters – "Oh my GOD! WHO? WHO?" – L twitched his lips into a _real smirk_.

Interesting.

 _But you... where are you?_

 _Where's your smile?_

"Hah! _That'll_ teach L to _defy me_ – KIRA!" Raito stuck his nose up in the air, brandishing his fist like he had been proclaimed the smartest, most gorgeous man on the planet. Well, _self-proclaimed_ , really, but…

"I bet L's really _floundering_ now!"

"' _You seem confident, kid.'"_ The floating shinigami snickered beside him. _"'In fact, you're so confident that you forget that people can_ hear _ya. Are you sure you're comfortable declaring yourself as_ Kira _like that…?'"_

Ryuuk wasn't worried – well, he was for _himself_. If Raito gets caught, the brunet would obviously fight back. And there was a _slight_ possibility that he could _die_. It was a small chance, but… Ryuuk's not crazy enough to risk his life for _that_!

Raito chuckled. He ignored Ryuuk's questions and looked up at the setting sun. "The foolish detective is probably suspecting the police force _right now_. I could just _imagine_ what sorts of trouble he'll get himself into." He smirked, flipping his hair out of his face.

 _What about me if I don't have you_

 _If I don't get your love?_

L stood up and started pacing. This is quite the problem. Quite the problem indeed…

' _Kira is capable of obtaining information only known by the police,'_ he said. His feet squeaked as they stepped on the polished floor. The noise was rhythmic, timed. Much like how L thinks – in one pattern. But despite his one-pattern-ness, L thinks of many possibilities. And the possibility of Kira being _one_ of the police force is high. Not too high, but… high.

' _I can't ignore this,'_ He stopped pacing and turned his head to gaze at the glowing screen. _'Is it possible that Kira is affiliated with the police somehow… or is he skilled at espionage? It's also possible that he's_ both _…'_ As his mind reeled with questions, answers and theories, he couldn't ignore _another fact_ –

Kira was _deliberately_ making him _think_ this.

L knew for a fact that Kira wasn't a man to be trifled with – not only did he possess inhuman powers, he also possessed an intelligence that could even rival _his own_. He wouldn't be here, wondering and speculating if that wasn't the case, after all. Kira is definitely _brilliant_ – in more ways than one. That's the reason why the disheveled-haired detective wanted to _meet_ him in the first place.

But Kira was starting to _really_ piss him off.

He bit his thumb. _'What is Kira trying to accomplish by telling me this…? Or rather, what is his motive? His aim?'_ He scowled. L didn't know. Not at all.

So, what _did_ he know?

He knew the police are involved. Of that, he was seventy-three percent sure.

 _Everything will look better_

 _Under the Light that will come from the sun_

 _This night will be gone_

 _Darkness will fade out_

Ryuuk scratched his head as he hovered behind his human companion. Something didn't seem _right_. Why was his friend letting this _L_ know that he was connected to the police…?

The shinigami still couldn't understand how the bipolar teen's mind works. Never will.

"' _But isn't it a_ bad _thing to let them know that you have a link to the police? It's bad enough that they suspect a student.'"_ He voiced his thoughts. Really, was Raito trying to get himself killed – get _Ryuuk_ killed? The boy had no heart! No heart at all!

Raito continued walking. "This is," He paused. "In order to find L."

"'… _and…? What'll ya do when you find him? You gonna kill him?'"_

A huff. "I can't do _that_ , Ryuuk. I have morals." He supplied, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. "Although his existence and purpose of capturing me are problematic, I cannot eliminate him. I'll just have to avoid him. It'll be pretty troublesome, but I'm not going to soil my hands just because some super sleuth is giving me a headache."

"'… _ohh?'"_ came the monosyllabic reply of wisdom.

"Yes, _ohh_. I also realize that someday, I have to confront him… but the less I have to deal with him, the better."

"' _How can that be? If ya don't kill him, he'll keep on hunting ya down. If you're just gonna avoid him, why do you want to know who he is?'"_

"Simple, Ryuuk. It's better that I _know_ who I'm dealing with. It's also better that I have one advantage against him – I know who _he_ is, but he doesn't know who _I_ am. It'll be a fun game of cat and mouse… wherein the mouse hoodwinks the cat." He replied easily. "I can also test my skills and powers – will I be able to outmaneuver a great detective like L? I'm confident that I _am_."

"' _Ooh, confidence. But seriously, you should think about me sometimes! And I bet you're planning something else… what's your other reason for letting them know that Kira has some link with the cops?'"_

"Well, Ryuuk," Raito paused at a _stop_ light. Cars started going _vroom_ in front of him as he continued, "In human society, only few people who really trust each other. That's even true with the NPA, especially with L and the police."

"' _Huh? Why?'"_ Ryuuk said before eyeing a fruit stand hungrily. _"'They get a long pretty well to_

 _me…'"_

Raito waited until they've crossed the street. He also waited till they were alone again before he said, "Get along? That's nonsense, Ryuuk. Who would trust a man who hides behind a mask and scours the streets at night, hmm? They don't trust Kira because Kira is unknown to them… thus a threat. The same thing applies to L, though I doubt he's also a superhero.

"L keeps his name and face hidden from everyone. Doesn't that strike you as strange? The police feel as if they're at a disadvantage, because though L knows who _they_ are, they don't know who _L_ is.

"And right now, I'm guessing L's suspecting the police, and is already looking for me within the NPA. It's all a matter of time before the cops get really mad.

"On the surface, L and the police are working together to find and capture me. But behind the scenes, L will be spying on the police and the police will be trying to track down L.

"So, you see, Ryuuk." Raito stopped walking to bask in the warm light of the slowly-setting sun. "I won't be the one to uncover L's true identity; the police will do that _for_ me. And when I find out who L is…"

He smirked. "Well, let's just see."

Ryuuk digested all the information he heard and _snorted_. _"'Hah! You just don't know what to do after that, don't you?'"_

"…what's that, Ryuuk? You want me to ban you from apples _forever_?"

"'… _uhh…I didn't say anything.'"_

A chuckle. "Yeah, I thought so."

 _And under the Light of that sun_

 _I will go on looking for you_

 _Ring… Ring… Ring…_

" _Hmph? Hello?"_

"Director… this is L."

" _Wh-What? L? What is it? I thought you're busy with the Kira Investigation…"_

"I am. I have uncovered a very interesting piece of information, director."

"… _and that is…?"_

"Kira can create copies of himself."

" _WHAT?"_

"Yes. He was seen in various places simultaneously – fighting crime at different time slots before dropping criminals in front of police centers."

"… _my God…"_

"Also, this happened after I theorized that he was possibly a student – "

" _A student? Kira? A working young man, probably… but a student? L, what're you – "_

"Please remove _all_ personal bias, director. It _is_ possible that Kira _could_ be a student. A young man whose age ranges from sixteen to twenty-three, at least – that was my theory. When he appeared at different time slots the last two days, my theory was rebutted… and I've only theorized that the day _before_ he started."

"… _what do you mean, L? Are you saying that – "_

"Director. I am certain Kira has means of obtaining information only available to the police."

" _Good Lord! Espionage?"_

"Negative. Probability of him being in the NPA, or _affiliated_ with its members at least, is _seventy-three percent_."

" _That high…"_

"Yes, director. As such, I would like to ask a favor from you, Director of the FBI…"

"… _I understand, L. I'll see what I can do."_

"Thank you. Three or four teams will do."

" _All right."_ Click.

L was going to catch Kira – no matter _what_ it takes.

 _Everything will look better_

 _Under the Light, under the sun_

 _Silence will die_

 _People there will feel confused_

 _And under the Light of that sun_

 _I will go on looking for you_

 **CHAPTER ENDS**

 **XDD They're all so crazy, I just can't help but laugh at my own work. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! 8D**

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

– lololol I KNOW. IT'S PURE WTF. I re-watched that episode of Death Note where they were reviewing the clues and stuff and I saw that signboard beside the door. It read Special Investigation Headquarters for Criminal Victim Mass Murder Case. Obviously, that didn't fit my story, so I used my ever-useful _artistic license_ and _voila_ – Special Investigation Headquarters for _Winged-Vigilante-Running-Amuck Case_. XD (bows) I know, I know. EPIC PHAILAGE.

– …I am aware that this holds a _double meaning_. XD *laughs ass off* Good _God_ , Ryuuk x Raito! I should make a crack! fic of that one day xD

 **CHAPTER ENDS**

LINE BREAK

 **CHAPTER 7 – DEAL?**

Ryuuk had been acting very strangely, Raito thought.

As he twirled a pen in his hands and tried to listen to the rambling teacher in front of the board, the brunet watched as the huge shinigami walked pass him. When the instructor turned around to write something on the board, Raito took this as an opportunity to observe the shinigami.

Ryuuk was looking out the window again.

The shinigami started acting strange by looking out the windows. Perhaps the shinigami secretly liked admiring sceneries, but Raito begged to differ. It was as if he was looking for something, or rather, looking _out_. And he also had that… aura around him that somehow told Raito that something wrong was happening. The brunet, after all, was born a paranoid genius. But hell, the shinigami wouldn't say anything! What, did he expect Raito to read his mind or something?

The brunet sighed and brought his attention back on his work. _'I'll talk to him later,'_ A lecture – though unbearably long and boring – was still a lecture, after all.

The one-of-a-kind shinigami looked out the window and stared at an empty space. Just by looking at him, one could tell that he's thinking of deep thoughts, and producing profound ideas. It was the kind of look that said, "Ah, I'm thinking of something."

– and there comes the, "OMG I just realized something!" face, accompanied with wide eyes and a slightly agape mouth.

"' _Whoops. I forgot about_ that _deal…_ **'"**

" _L."_

The highly-acclaimed detective raised his head to look at the computer screen.

" _The FBI has entered Japan four days ago, and is beginning their investigation into police personnel…"_ "Thank you, Watari." L held a rather thick pile of papers in his hands. His big, round eyes scanned the first page. There's the full name, age, address, occupation. The entire police force is here, including their affiliates and relatives. The black-haired detective narrowed his eyes.

"Is this the entire list…?"

The answer was brief – _"Yes."_

He gave a low sound of acknowledgement and proceeded to scan through the papers. He scanned through the details – last name Akira, two children, both male. Ayase, single. Bailey, an immigrant from Britain, married, no children. _Endo, Fujitsu, Gonzales_. Every last _one_ must be investigated. Interrogated. Searched.

One of them could be _Kira_.

He kept an emotionless face as he thought, _'Just in the NPA alone, there are 141 members. All officers have access to police information,'_ L turned a few pages and counted. One, two, three… there are more than 150 sheets in his hands. His eyes narrowed – 141 police members, not including family, friends and business contacts. Would it be safe to assume that more than 200 – no, _300_ people should be investigated?

L scowled.

' _One of these members could be Kira. Or perhaps,'_ he raised his head to look at the screen. His eyes narrowed in thought. _'Someone close to them,'_ No matter what happens, he _cannot_ be bias – although Kira is definitely _male_ , there is a slight chance that he is an acquaintance of all the females involved. L realizes that he must accept _all_ possibilities; he shouldn't limit his investigation just because it seemed obvious.

It wouldn't be _L_ -like.

He dropped the stack on the floor and stood up. Some pages scattered, but L didn't care. What he _did_ care for was who the hell Kira is!

Who? Who-who-who-who-who-who-whoooo?

L didn't know who – and _that_ just bothered him.

He bit his thumb and tried to come up with a way to begin an investigation. Should he start with the police officers? Nay, that would cause a disturbance. L can't afford distrust right now. What about females? Their relationships? Wives? Daughters? L would definitelybe able to do it, yes – but then…

He stopped. It was very unlike him to fuss.

The detective turned to look outside the window. The colors of orange, purple and blue started to blend. It was almost evening. The sun is setting… but no, L wouldn't stop. He would continue his mission, his duty – to bring this insane, inhuman vigilante to _justice_. Because _L_ is justice. The only one. Anything other than that… isn't.

Kira is _not_ Justice.

' _The sun is setting,'_ L thought. He brought a pale thumb to his lips and began to nibble. _'But it won't set on me, Kira.'_ His eyes narrowed and focused on the blending colors of the sky. No, not on him—

 _It would set on_ you _, Kira._

"'… _Hey, Raito… you got a minute?'"_

Raito zipped open his bag to check if his Kira outfit was neatly folded. He pretended to organize a few things before muttering: "I told you, Ryuuk: don't talk to me when we're out in public." Stupid shinigami. Always disobeying him. Ryuuk's like a puppy Raito used to have – a small Chihuahua that annoyed the hell outta him. It was loud, snappy and… small.

And Ryuuk was loud, snappy and… big.

"'… _but…'"_ Ryuuk was acting rather strange. But whatever – Raito didn't want to appear crazy by talking to _himself_.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" He whispered in a stern voice. The attractive brunet zipped his bag closed. That'll silence the shinigami.

"' _Well,'"_ Oh, for the love of crap! _"'I'll tell ya, anyway. If you don't wanna hear it, then cover your ears.'"_

"And what? Make myself appear even _more_ deranged? I'll look as if I'm hearing voices in my head… which is _somewhat_ true, no thanks to a certain shinigami I know." Raito said as quietly as he could, but he ended up saying it louder than intended. Hopefully, no one was around… or rather, no one _heard_ him.

"'… _hmm.'"_ Ryuuk dismissed the teenager's retort and began to talk again. _"'You know, Raito… I really like ya. I never thought I would, you know. You seem like the type of person who'd get on my nerves. You're arrogant, vain, whiny and…_ vain _. But you know, I really think that you're the best person who could've picked up my notebook.'"_

The cinnamon-eyed teenager turned his head slightly where Ryuuk was floating. What was the creature planning? Raito realized that the creature had been on the edge since his night course started. Would he find out if he listens to whatever Ryuuk has to say?

…whatever. He has nothing to do, anyway.

"Why, thank you, Ryuuk." He silently said. "But you know, I hardly doubt that you wouldn't bolt if you had the chance,"

The shinigami snickered. _"'Well, yeah. That's coz I have to stick with ya till the notebook's powers run out or you die. Then I die. Uhh,'"_ He suddenly paused. _"'…but I'd really prefer it if you let the notebook's powers run out first. Heh, heh.'"_ Raito rolled his eyes.

The shinigami continued. _"'But you know, despite the fact that this could cost me my life… I'm neither on your side nor L's side.'"_ That caught Raito's attention. _"'I'm supposed to help you out, yeah, but I gotta let you act on your own. I'm allowed to intervene every now and then, but I'm just not allowed to help ya when you can do it yourself.'"_

The wheels in Raito's head are turning. So even if it costs him his life, he wouldn't – no, _couldn't_ help him. Even if L were to capture him, Ryuuk would only watch. It was sort-of vague, though – after all, the shinigami just saved his life not too long ago. Could it be that he is only limited to a few tries? Or maybe he wasn't supposed to help at all, and got into a bit of trouble? Was that the reason why the shinigami was acting strange? The superhero didn't know, but he wanted to.

However, now's not the time to discuss it in detail. Instead, he just kept his gaze forward. "I understand, Ryuuk. You aren't obligated to come to my rescue, if ever I would be in need of it."

"' _So, in that case, I'm not gonna tell ya that you're using the notebook the wrong way. Hell, you could'a been a bad guy from the start and I'll still be here. But you know, as your friendly, one of-a-kind buddy,'"_ Raito rolled his eyes at that. Yeah _right_. One-of-a-kind, all right. _"'I'll speak up from time to time.'"_

Raito was honestly starting to get annoyed. Ryuuk's such a blabber-mouth. "What the hell's wrong, Ryuuk? Just say it straight out," The sooner he gets the disfigured creature to shut up, the better.

"' _Yeah, yeah, I'm getting to that.'"_ He said, rather annoyed himself. _"'What I meant was, that I'm not gonna say what I'm gonna say as your ally, but rather, as someone who's starting to get creeped out.'"_ Ryuuk snickered, despite himself. _"'I'm surprised you haven't sensed anything out of the ordinary, with your super powers and all.'"_

Raito puffed. "Get to the point, Ryuuk." The brunet now realized that the shinigami will never stop speaking. Who knows? The teenager bets his Kira-suit that Ryuuk will continue to expound and explain and blah, blah, blah. He shook his head to move his bangs away from his eyes. "Just say it."

Ryuuk's eyes glistened as he snickered. He leaned in close to say:

"' _You're being followed, Raito.'"_

…what?

Raito stopped abruptly. His feet came to a halt. His back was straight. His chin parallel to the ground. Raito maintained a calm posture.

But deep inside, he was starting to panic

His eyes turned to the side. Yeah. He heard something. He felt something too. Could it be a person? A spy? Anybody? But wait. Did that mean…?

No. No, no, no, no, no, _no_. It can't be. It's too early. Isn't it?

The almond-eyed teenager thought that standing there motionless wasn't going to get him anywhere – hah, hah – so he resumed walking. He had a little scowl on his face. Dammit. Why's someone following him?

The shinigami huffed. _"'It's annoying, really. He doesn't see me, of course, but,'"_ He cringed as he looked over his shoulder. _"'Since I hang around you, it feels as if_ I'm _being followed.'"_

Raito tried to think. What was he supposed to do? He can't just let the man follow him around. And killing him is _out_ of the question. But still, he needed to _lose_ him. If he let the man hang around for too long, his identity could be discovered. Raito wasn't going to risk that.

So, what was he supposed to do?

He grunted. What a _pain in the ass_.

"' _Hey, lookit. He's still out there,'"_ Ryuuk observed as he watched outside the window. The silhouette of a man in a coat was as clear as black on white. Well, it was literally black-on-white.

Raito watched from a discrete place beside his window. He saw the silhouette and narrowed his eyes. What could this mean? The police couldn't be suspecting _him_ of all people, could they?

This was quite the predicament for Raito.

"' _Raito,'"_ The shinigami called out. The brunet ignored him, however. Ryuuk tried again. _"'Raaiitooo—'"_

The almost-college student turned around to scowl at the shinigami. What did he want _now_? The brunet was having enough trouble as it is. Coming up with a way to get rid of his shadow without hurting him – well, he wanted to hurt him a _little_ bit – was hard enough; dealing with Ryuuk was _harder_. Raito was not in the mood. Not for the shadow, not for Ryuuk.

Damn, he wanted an apple right now.

' _Oh no,'_ He massaged his temples as he turned away from the window. _'I'm starting to become like Ryuuk. I fear for my physical attributes – '_

"' _Hey, Raito. I'm trying to talk to you.'"_ The shinigami sounded almost serious. His tone was flat, void of his usual Ryuuk-ness. His shoulders were slumped forward as usual, but then, he appeared to be a little stiff.

"' _There's something I've been meaning to tell ya for a while.'"_

The brown-eyed individual gave Ryuuk a brief glance. "Oh?" He let out a tired sigh before he sat on the swivel chair. Raito leaned against the back of the chair and relaxed. "You're really talkative today, Ryuuk. Is something on your mind?"

Raito meant it as a harmless question, but the shinigami took it personally and said, _"'Raito. I'm not kidding. I really have something to tell you.'"_

The brunet's previously closed eyes opened. He turned his head to look at Ryuuk who was still standing by the edge of the bed like some deranged, standing _thing_. The brunet raised an eyebrow at being snapped at – OK, was it something he said? Was Ryuuk _that_ freaked out about being followed by some nameless shadow?

Well, whatever it was, it made Ryuuk _snap_ at him. Nobody snaps at Yagami Raito.

"What's wrong?" He asked, serious this time. If it was something truly important, Raito should listen. Ryuuk could be talking about something big, something vital. Besides, the sooner he knew about it, the sooner he could get to _sleep_.

Sleep is good for Kira's skin.

Ryuuk turned his head slightly to the side and gazed at the floor, as if unsure what to say next.

Well, that's _good_ , considering he had just _snapped_ at his human companion for not letting him say what he wanted to say. Now that Raito was all-ears, Ryuuk could only make out a vague humming in his head.

Luckily for him, though, he managed to say something. _"'Raito,'"_ He began. Yes, beginning with the person's name always helps one remember.

"…yeah?" Raito waved his hand in a circular motion, as if to guide Ryuuk. "Just say it, Ryuuk. We won't be able to deal with it if you – "

 _Aha! Deal!_ Ryuuk's head twitched upward as he said, _"'Ahh, yeah. That's what I was gonna tell you about.'"_

Raito raised an elegant brow. "…a deal?"

"' _Raito,'"_ Ryuuk deliberately ignored him, much to the teenager's chagrin. _"'Surely you remember that thing I told you about the other day…?'"_

"The other day? Ryuuk, there are _lots_ of other days. Which day is it?"

"' _Uhh, if I'm not mistaken,'"_ The shinigami looked up and scratched his chin. As if soothing the itch on your chin can make you remember! Silly shinigami! _"'I believe I told it to ya on the night I saved ya from getting killed,'"_

' _My, how tactful,'_ Raito's lips twitched into a thoughtful frown. On the night Ryuuk saved him… what did the shinigami reveal? Well, there were his reasons for saving him, more conditions that he should've mentioned when they first met (damn shinigami…), and oh, some shinigami history.

"Hmm," He made a thoughtful noise. "You told me a _lot_ of things that night, Ryuuk. Even I couldn't guess what the hell you're talking about unless you – "

"' _I told ya about how shinigami earn extra lives from the humans they kill, didn't I?'"_

Raito nodded. He remembered. A shinigami's existence relies on the number of years they earn from killing a human with the notebook. The brunet found it strange to use a notebook as a tool to _kill_. It would make a great anime, though. But then, this was real life, and Raito was starting to get _real annoyed_ at Ryuuk for beating around the bush.

"Yeah, you did." He replied. "But what does _that_ have to do with what you're going to tell me now?"

"' _And I also mentioned about you being able to surrender your powers, right? Like, the out of the blue thing.'"_ He ignored Raito again. He moved his head, and the heart-shaped earring attached to his ear jingled. Raito watched it as it moved around, but he was still definitely listening.

Ahh, yeah. _That_. Raito swore he was about to punch the shinigami for revealing that just then. Not that he was going to surrender his powers… unless he could claim it again when he wanted to.

Wait. Was _that_ what Ryuuk wanted to talk to him about?

Raito placed his elbow on the desk and rested his head on his curled hand. Narrowed eyes gazed at the still-serious shinigami who was getting vaguer by the second.

The brunet decided to speak up. "Why are you telling me this now, Ryuuk?" He just didn't _get it_. Why the hell would Ryuuk keep something like this from Raito? Was it part of some deal he and the 'Shinigami King' made? Did he enjoy annoying Raito to the point where the brunet would be _this close_ to pulling his silky, brown hair out?

He decided to punch Ryuuk later. Or a brick wall if it phases through him again.

The shinigami shrugged. _"'To be honest? I forgot about it.'"_ Raito almost fell out of his chair. Ryuuk didn't pay heed to that, however. _"'When I first realized that we were being followed everywhere, I started thinking about your – and consequently,_ my _– safety. I tried to come up with ways to get rid of the guy, and one of my musings led me to remembering a certain deal the old man told me about not too long ago,'"_

Raito's eyes narrowed suspiciously. What deal? "What kind of deal, Ryuu—heyy!" The shinigami suddenly got too close for comfort. "What's your _deal_ , Ryuuk? Why are you— "

"' _I trust you still remember that you have your powers on twenty-four-seven.'"_ He interjected. Raito was seriously trying to prevent himself from seething. _"'You have access to your powers even when you don't summon your wings. However, you cannot stop them from surfacing, either. Your powers are connected to your nervous system – if something bad's about to happen, your reflexes will most likely cause you to use them without your knowledge or consent. Basic human behavior, right?_

"' _So yeah. You have 'em on every_ day _. This makes it easier for you to use your powers, but also easier for others to_ see _you use 'em. Having others see you using them would be counterproductive, since you can't risk others finding about your identity, riiighht…?'"_ Raito nodded, a bit speechless. The shinigami continued, _"'So you're probably in need of a way to hide your powers without completely giving them up, don't you?'"_

Raito thought for a moment. Yes, that would be rather convenient. He found not being able to control his powers quite irksome at times. Actually, most of the time. Like his strength – he couldn't _turn it off_ at all! He glanced over to where his doorknob used to be. He has yet to get his door fixed. He loved his powers, yes, but… he didn't them on _all the time_.

But knowing Ryuuk and his almighty shinigami-ness, agreeing to whatever deal this is would cost him something of equal importance. Convenience is hard to come by, and Raito doubted that Ryuuk would spare him some just 'coz they were somewhat friends. No, even if Ryuuk _wanted_ to, he still had to abide some rules.

Mehh. Well, whatever. It couldn't hurt to know, right?

"Yes, that would be rather convenient," he said to the shinigami. "Basically, you're saying that I can trade for this ability to 'hide' my abilities without having to surrender them completely, right?"

Ryuuk nodded and inched away a few. _"'Yeah. That's right.'"_

"But then," Raito began. "Something as convenient as _that_ would surely cost me something of great importance, wouldn't it?"

Ryuuk cackled and nodded. _"'As expected from the kid who scored first on the National Exam,'"_

He commented. _"'You're right; you need to trade something to obtain the ability.'"_

"And with that ability, I can decrease the possibility of me being discovered by a great percentage." Raito commented, rubbing his chin all sage-like. He looked up at Ryuuk who suddenly had a sinister aura around him. Meep, that can't be good.

"So, what do I have to do…?"

"'… _you know, Raito. If you had been awake that time, you would realize that merging with the Death Note would hurt.'"_ He said suddenly. _"'And I mean_ really _hurt. Imagine a block of concrete being pressed against your stomach, forcing its way in even when it's not supposed to._

 _Consider yourself lucky that you were spiritually unconscious during the moment of merging,'"_ Ryuuk sniggered. _"'I can imagine you screaming from –"'_

"Can we _please_ skip the unimportant bit, please?" Raito rubbed his eyes, slightly tired. Dammit, he needed to sleeeep. But this evil, evil shinigami won't let him! "Just tell me what I need to – ""' _Due to the amount of damage you're going to take while merging with the Death Note_ ("Oh, for the love of crap…") _, your body's gonna suffer greatly. As such, it needs to be able to endure the pain whilst you continuously merge with the Death Note. As I've mentioned, merging_ hurts _. Hurting eventually leads to healing, and healing needs energy from certain parts of the body. Your body cannot spontaneously acquire energy from nowhere, so it needs all it could get. And in order to get that, you need to… sacrifice a few things.'"_

Raito was half-asleep when he heard the last few words. He yawned and rubbed his eyes again.

"And what do I… need to sacrifice – "

"' _Half your life.'"_

Raito's eyes widened a bit. His mouth opened slightly, as if he was going to say something, but couldn't. It took him a few minutes, but eventually, he went back to glaring at Ryuuk. "You have _got_ to be joking, Ryuuk. Why the hell would I – "

Ryuuk snickered. Then, he started _cackling_. Raito's jaw dropped when the shinigami started rolling on the floor. The creature was laughing hysterically while pointing at Raito like a loon. '" _You should've seen the look on your face! HAHAHA! Y-Y-You were mouth was like… and your eyes were going to… hahahahahahahha… ehh –?'"_

Ryuuk looked up when he heard a creaking noise. His eyes widened as the figure of a very irritated Raito carrying a brown desk loomed over him. He started backing away on his ass.

"' _Ahh, ahh, ahh! S-Sorry! I'll be serious this time! Serious, Raito! Uhh, if you could kindly put down the desk…?'"_

Raito moved back and dropped the desk on the floor… quite ungracefully. This resulted to a loud _bam_ noise, and Ryuuk immediately looked at the door. He was half-expecting his human friend's mother to come up, but it was too late for anyone to actually notice anything… ohh, but then –

"Ryuuk, kindly explain things _seriously_ before I _seriously_ get angry." Raito sat back on the swivel chair and crossed his legs. He scowled a bit at Ryuuk. Really, the nerve of this wretched shinigami!

Ryuuk snickered. _"'Yeah, yeah.'"_ The shinigami stood up and sat on the edge of the bed. _"'But I wasn't kidding when I said you'd have to sacrifice something in order to obtain the ability.'"_

"What _is_ the ability, anyway?" Raito sat back on the swivel chair and crossed his arms. He was wide awake now, thanks to a certain shinigami's mischievousness. The brunet rubbed his eyes – ohh, how awful can Ryuuk be?

Raito was once again taken aback when the shinigami's face was inches from his. The superhero's eyes narrowed.

Ryuuk can be _terribly_ awful.

"' _You see these eyes, Raito?'"_ When Raito nodded, Ryuuk continued. _"'These eyes originally had one purpose, but a deal established some hundred years ago, gave it another function. I'm not going to tell you its first purpose, heh, heh._

"' _These eyes are called_ Shinigami Eyes _. As I've mentioned, they have two uses. The first one will be completely useless to you, so I won't tell ya. The second one, which is quite a new feature, allows you to… heh, heh…'"_ Ryuuk trailed off and started cackling. Raito found this irritating, so he decided to speak up.

"What's so funny, Ryuuk? Is preventing me from sleeping so hilarious an issue?" As if to emphasize this, the brunet rubbed his eyes and covered his mouth to yawn. This was taking too long, and the brunet didn't like it.

The shinigami slouched in front of Raito. _"'Heh, heh. My bad. It's just freakin' amusing, really.'"_ He paused and pointed at an eye. _"'The second function of the shinigami eyes will allow its user to control his or her powers without completely surrendering them. When you use these eyes, you will be able to use your powers. But if you hide your eyes – rather, turn them 'off' – your powers will be concealed, and you'll appear as nothing more than a regular human being._

"' _In other words, these eyes function as an 'off' and 'on' switch for your powers.'"_

Raito sat up as he absorbed this new-found information carefully. So, there _was_ a way to hide his powers! He knew it! With those eyes, Raito can hide his powers without giving them up. That's it! That's what he needed to avoid detection!

' _Damn you, Ryuuk.'_ Raito covered his mouth in slight astonishment. _'But I'll forgive you since you've told me something very useful. However, telling me this just now will cost you a few apple-less days.'_ Now all that's left is _making_ the deal.

What's the catch?

"In exchange for these eyes," Raito began as he studied the shinigami's figure carefully. "What do I need to sacrifice?"

Ryuuk's smile widened a bit. _"'Well, you don't need to sacrifice half of your life; that's for the other deal, which I'm not telling you about ever.'"_ Raito scowled, but that didn't keep the shinigami from talking. _"'But what I said about needing energy to continuously turn your powers on and off is true. These eyes can tire you considerably, and fighting bad guys with only half your strength isn't fun, is it?'"_

Ryuuk crossed his arms sagely. _"'But the energy you need to acquire these eyes can be obtained by making a contract with the one who first made this deal possible. In other words, you'll make a pact with the shinigami king. A pact with him will give you lots of privileges, not just the eyes. I have yet to remember all of them, so we'll just talk about the eyes first.'"_ Ryuuk, in his all knowingness, didn't notice Raito's head dropping in displeasure.

The brunet stood up from the chair and went towards the bed. "So, all I have to do is pledge allegiance to the shinigami king, or something? A deal with the 'old man', as you like calling him?" Raito sat on the edge of the bed and watched as Ryuuk turned to face him.

"' _That's right. But you know… a deal with the shinigami king's gonna cost you more than half your life,'"_ Ryuuk said vaguely. This caught Raito's attention, though, and the brunet couldn't help but smirk a bit.

"Oh, what? Is this going to cost me two-thirds of my life or something?" He joked.

"' _It doesn't concern the life you have right now, but rather,'"_ Ryuuk paused a bit, and looked outside the window. A dramatic pause, perhaps? _"'It concerns the life you have in the afterlife.'"_

The brunet blinked before narrowing his eyes. "The afterlife…? You mean, after I die?" "' _Yeah,'"_ Ryuuk's head suddenly turned to face Raito. _"'Raito, in order to obtain the eyes, and the energy needed to use them, you must swear yourself to the shinigami king, and serve him after you die.'"_

Raito sat up straight and looked at Ryuuk in the eyes. He could tell that Ryuuk was serious now. But then, with a face like that… it was hard for Raito to keep a straight face.

However, Raito was unsure how to react to this situation. The price to pay in order to obtain the eyes wasn't as extreme as the brunet thought at first. He thought it would be some sort of handicap, like blindness or… extreme ugliness. But then, he couldn't deny the fact that it was a rather troublesome deal.

Serve the shinigami king in the afterlife? You've got to be _kidding_.

' _It seems that the only way to use the shinigami eyes the way I want them to – no, the way I_ need _them to, would need the aid of the shinigami king. And being 'king', well… it's possible that providing me with that kind of energy would be prove to be an inconvenience. Which proves that I really_ do _need to sacrifice something._

' _But freedom after death? That's outrageous! Even if this king would be troubled, I don't see the point of spending an eternity serving him.'_ Raito scratched his chin and brought his gaze on the floor. _'Why?'_

"' _It's because when you die, I die.'"_ Ryuuk answered quite suddenly.

The abruptness of the reply caught the brunet off-guard. Raito looked up at Ryuuk, whose face was as ugly and unreadable as ever. His eyes narrowed in slight confusion – what could he possibly mean?

Or was it because…?

"' _When you die, I die.'"_ He was still looking outside the window when he repeated it. _"'It's impossible for shinigami to die by being stabbed or shot. They can't die due to simple means, but there are a lot of ways to kill one, or so I've heard. When you die, I die. That was the condition I agreed to when I imbued the powers in the notebook.'"_ Ryuuk had a sort of melancholic tone of voice, but whether Raito thought that was good or not, it didn't really matter.

' _So, it's because that Ryuuk's going to die after I do,'_ Raito sighed and closed his eyes. _'That I need to replace him?'_ Was that it? It was quite plausible. And reasonable.

It left a bad taste in his mouth, though.

"' _So… what are you going to do, Raito…?'"_ Raito looked up to see the mischievous glint in those big red eyes again. The shinigami loomed over him and raised his claw-like hands. _"'Are you going to make it…?'"_

"The deal?" Raito asked quietly, a little unsure of what to do. Should he accept it and frolic in the fields of freedom, security and power, only to be forced to don chains after death? Should he? Or shouldn't he? Which was it?

"' _So, Raito, you have to decide.'"_

If he made the deal, he'd be invincible.

"' _Deal…'"_

But if he _did_ make the deal, he'd be bound to a fate he would later abhor and detest.

"'… _or no deal?'"_

What should he do?

 _BOOM! CRASH!_

A cloaked figure backed away a bit after hearing the loud noise. He watched carefully as the windows slowly vibrated and went back to their previous immobile state. The man in black narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

What the hell was _that_?

' _That was a pretty loud noise,'_ The mysterious man thought. _'And to boldly make such a racket at night… could Yagami Raito possibly be…?'_

He then turned around and shook his head. _'It's a little too early to determine that. I'll just take note of this and head back home. I don't think I'll be able to collect any more information tonight.'_ He slowly turned and started walking away, but still, the man dressed in ebony black couldn't stop thinking –

' _That was one heck of a loud noise,'_

 **CHAPTER ENDS**

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Are you familiar with 'DEAL OR NO DEAL?''?

 **CHAPTER ENDS**

LINE BREAK


	2. NEW STORY UPDATE 2016 AND BEYOND

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

This is for ALL READERS out there!

I will be merging my chapters of all of my stories posted in FANFICTIONDOTNET and adding this Author's Note, so that I wouldn't have to worry about anything about my stories being lost!

I'm sorry I have not updated for so long, REAL LIFE has _NOT_ been kind to me.

But do not worry! I will be posting soon and updating my stories and post more NEW ones!

I have also decided to continue posting my stories, updating them and posting new stories on AO3/ARCHIVEOFOUROWNDOTORG.

Just look for **MYSTICWRITER3018**.

I hope that all readers would be faithful and keep on following me.

Just to let you know—FYI…

In FANFICTIONDOTNET…I will be planning to post 15 stories

In AO3/ARCHIVEOFOUROWNDOTORG…there will be about 50 stories!

PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR COMMENTS AND REVIEWS!

Thank you!


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